Evil Comes Of Age?

I would consider myself something of a filmophile - I don't see as many as some but I see more than others - I'm also a staunch believer in ensuring the films I do see cover the broader spectrum whether it be the winter blockbuster (got to cater for the flip in seasons) or the the latest indy doco to come out of one of the 'Stans - for this reason you often see a lot of crap but conversely a lot of stuff that's pretty good. However, sometimes you get lucky and you see something truly great.  The subject matter of 'Boy A' is difficult, to say the least, but it is a story of redemption and I love a story about redemption.  Watching it one can't help but be reminded of the real story (Bulger) that was played out more in the gutter press and although it did get it's fair share of more relative reporting it was very difficult to examine the story without being caught up in the public lynching mob.  Perhaps we needed a few decades to numb the rage in order for the fictionalised account to be written and eventually get made into a relatively major film.  The film is one of fiction but it was so beautiful and Eric/Jack's story was so tragic that I couldn't help but sympathise with the real world killers.  It's a powerful reminder that we live in a society with rules and some of those rules are that if we commit a mistake or a crime we are punished.  Jail is a punishment but it is also there to help to reform wayward citizens.  Living in a society means accepting that prison can reform - it doesn't always work but we have to trust that it can and when somebody has paid their debt to society in the form of completing their prison term then they have a right to return to society and we have a duty as citizens, whether we are happy with it or not, to accept their return.