Jamesy Boy

2014 "Never Back Down"
6.2| 1h49m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 03 January 2014 Released
Producted By: Star Thrower Entertainment
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Based on the true story of teenager James Burns who goes from a suburban street gang to a maximum-security prison cell surrounded by hardened criminals. He turns his life around in prison thanks to the unexpected friendship he forms with a convicted murderer who becomes his mentor.

Genre

Drama, Crime, Romance

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Director

Trevor White

Production Companies

Star Thrower Entertainment

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Jamesy Boy Audience Reviews

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XoWizIama Excellent adaptation.
ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.
Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
Kenard_joy I give this movie a 9 out of 10 because this movie delivers!! Well at least for me it did! It kept me on the edge of my seat, not literally but it kept me guessing. Jamesy Boy in my opinion is considered to be a "real movie" involving sex, drugs, and money, it goes to the streets, and shows you what the life of drug dealers is, not only does it show you but this movie isn't biased. It has the good and the bad about the drug deals. The money, it shows how you can make a lot of movie but also lose it because "dirty money" isn't good money but as they say not all "dirty money" is bad. Then you have the sex which in this case the sex is just sex to these people, but at certain points its not just about the sex it's about love "making love" and all three of these things in one movie makes the movie much more interesting because, unlike all Hollywood movies, this movie shows the good and bad not just the good.
alejandro_chamorro Jamesy Boy takes you back when James was a teenager. Doing bad things, being rebellious and getting in to trouble with the law. I like how the story plays out back and forth from when he was younger and in to when he was more mature and decides to change his ways. His clues were always there from when he started befriending Vign Rhames who eventually tells him to keep writing no matter what he does. Also Taissa Farmiga who he meets and starts to like throughout the movie. I like how James finally decides to eventually find work and save money and not try to take the easy way and try to move to NY and pursue a better life for himself.
Amari-Sali Whenever a film is based on a true story there are a few guarantees. The first being the story will likely be long so the writers can embellish where they need to, and the second guarantee is that for every interesting moment in the film, you are guaranteed at least 10-20 minutes of boredom. Jamesy Boy is no different, but unfortunately while other films make up for those 10-20 minutes by using jokes or drama, Jamesy Boy just gives same old same, same old.Characters & StoryThe focus of the film is James (played by Spencer Lofranco) who is a troubled kid. He gets into fights a lot, usually falls with bad crowds, and he has been in and out of institutions since six years old. Reasons vary, but one time includes pulling a knife on his mom's boyfriend, for reasons not explained. Said mother Tracy (played by Mary-Louise Parker) is seemingly James' last hope and despite it all, she remains in his corner. However, a mother's love sometimes isn't enough, so James goes out into the world and ends up finding Roc (played by Michael Trotter).This leads to James being Roc's errand boy and him hanging with this girl name Crystal (played by Rosa Salazar) who is somewhat the village bicycle, but James' main squeeze. But, as time goes on, and James realizes he can't keep up with the gangster life, he tries to trade in Crystal for Sarah (played by Taissa Farmiga) and maybe try to live a normal life. However, with one last deal asked by Roc, everything goes to hell as Crystal snitches on him and then James ends up in prison.From there, James meets Guillermo (played by Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas) who is in a rival gang; Chris (played by Ben Rosenfield) who is the new kid on the block; and most importantly Conrad (played by Ving Rhames) who seemingly acts as some type of father figure to James. But, with all that has happened, though we see James get out of prison, and are told before the credits what has happened to the real James, you are left wondering if he will stay on the straight and narrow and prevent himself from being a statistic, or lead the life expected?PraiseWhen it comes to the film, certain scenes and elements are worth praising and act as a silver lining to the overall production. For example, it is nice to see the two Middleton co-stars Farmiga and Lofranco back together and have a little bit of romance. Also, though not always, Lofranco does well in some scenes and does show why he was casted as the lead in the film.CriticismHowever, most of the film feels like a drain on your time in which you could find something better to do. And this is not said to take anything away from the real James or those who participated in the movie, but between them jumping from before James was locked up, to him when he was; watching him as an errand boy, which may include guns and drugs, but plays out so familiar that even those moments don't wake you up; and then with most of the performances not drawing you into the story nor characters, I do feel that while the story perhaps would be interesting if told by the source, the movie portrays that story with one too many flaws to really get into it.Overall: Skip ItThough it was good to learn at the end of the movie James is doing well in his life, this to me would have been better as a documentary than as a dramatic film. For though you can see effort from the actors, there is something missing that keeps the film from having a heart and feeling like it is alive. Hence why I say to skip it. Though usually I would say something is worth watching on TV, there comes a point where a film maybe worth nothing more than experience for the cast and production crew, and background noise for the viewer. Which, sadly, is what I see Jamesy Boy as.
badger-eastwood Watched this film knowing nothing about it at all. Sometimes this can be the best thing to do I feel as you have no expectations. Well I still left disappointed. James played by Spencer Lofranco is a troubled kid in America, who has a single mother Mary played by Mary-Louise Parker, thats about it. This kid leaves school, fights and is a idiot gets involved with drugs and goes to jail. In jail he has about 2 scenes with an old man (Ving Rhames) and James is let out of prison and goes straight. I have just told you everything in this film. Honestly nothing happens. This could be about 1,000,000 peoples story in America. Its not interesting and the acting is horrible. During the film the do these cut scenes from his prison to his arrest so I'm waiting for this huge turn of events, or something shocking happen, like he kills his mum or his girl. Nope he just gets jacked by the police and put in jail. The bad part is if you read the movie description it says how he is a young boy befriending an older inmate, they hardly have a scene together and when they do its not very good no chemistry or powerful words of wisdom. This is horrible from start to finish, avoid at all costs but Mary Lousie Parker is still super sexy.