Director: Dito Montiel
MPAA Rating: R
Run Time: 88 min.
In his last on-screen performance, the late Robin Williams stars in Boulevard, a muted character piece from director Dito Montiel that successfully showcases Williams’ talents but lacks much emotional heft as a whole.
Williams plays Nolan Mack, a quiet, reserved man in his 60s who has worked at a bank for the last 25 years and lives his life by routine, going through the motions every day, secretly longing for something different.
He meets with his best friend, Winston (Bob Odenkirk), every Tuesday for lunch at the same restaurant, and although he and his wife Joy (Kathy Baker) love one another, they don’t sleep in the same bed, an undeniable distance between them.
One evening, Nolan is on his way home from work when he decides to take a different route, one that passes him by a popular prostitute pick-up spot. After almost hitting a young man by the name of Leo (Roberto Aguire) with his car, he offers to give him a ride, and the two end up in a flea-bag motel where Nolan pays him to just keep him company.
As Nolan becomes more attached to Leo, their friendship begins affecting his job and his relationship with his wife, until his secret begins bubbling to the surface.
The biggest problem with Boulevard comes from its lackluster script, with the film never quite living up to its potential. Rather than taking this concept and creating something unique and refreshing, Montiel seems to simply opt for the bare minimum, giving us just enough character development and plot to keep us awake for the proceedings.
Robin Williams has delved into dramatic roles before, and he once again proves that his infinitely expressive face can be just as effective when tackling a more dour character, which would be the best way to describe his character of Nolan. Throughout the film, it looks as though he’s ready to break down into tears at any moment, and it’s clear that this is a man barely hanging onto his composure.
Unfortunately, the performances by Williams, Odenkirk and Baker are really the only strong elements in Boulevard, and they feel stifled due to the bland narrative. Couple that with the plain cinematography and unappealing score, and what we’re left with is an incredibly generic drama with some great actors.
There’s just not enough here to warrant a recommendation from me, which is all the more disappointing, being that it is Williams’ last live-action role. This factor alone will likely draw a larger audience than it may have otherwise, but because of this beloved actor’s untimely death, there was an undeniable sadness throughout the film, constantly reminding me that we lost a wonderful thespian entirely too soon.
