 |  | Reviewed by Michelle Bond, Coventry University student
The story of Will (Grant), a 36 year old man who's an island ("I'm bloody Ibiza!"), whose friendship with twelve year old Marcus (Hoult) changes them both, About A Boy warms the heart and amuses the mind.
Looking fabulous, and much younger than his 42 years, Hugh Grant is great as Will: the self proclaimed star of the "Will Show".
Will is shallow: he joins a single parents group to meet women, and has never worked a day in his life because of the royalties he makes from his one hit wonder fathers Christmas jingle (the surprisingly realistic "Santa's Super Sleigh").
But this all (slowly) changes when he meets Marcus, an odd twelve year old.
 Deep without being foreign art-house flick. Shallow without being Hollywood blockbuster, it's the perfect rainy Sunday afternoon film.
 | 听 | Michelle Bond, Coventry University student
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The relationship between the two is sketched humorously and warmly, and it is no surprise when realisation changes both of them.
For Will it is Rachel (the under used Weisz) and falling in love, for Marcus it is friendship.
The action is complemented by the brilliant soundtrack from Badly Drawn Boy, by turns jingly and affectionate - the single Silent Sigh is the perfect background to Marcus's unspoken feelings.
From Marcus's tuneless singing to his terrible haircut and oddly shaped eyebrows, Hoult pulls off the role of an awkward young boy almost perfectly.
| 听 |  | Will with baby in About a Boy
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The young actor sometimes struggles with the emotion, but shows his class in scenes such as the doorbell ringing incident.
Capturing Will's shallowness perfectly, Grant ditches the foppish haircut in favour of a new, short style, and trendy clothes.
The humour he injects is as valuable as his looks however, and the cringe-worthy rock to Roberta Flack's Killing Me Softly is worth the admission price alone.
There is great facial acting featured, along with some great dialogue.
Hugh Grant is undoubtedly the star of the show, but Ali (Rachel's son), is definitely one to watch, with one of the best delivered lines of the film.
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