ActuallyGlimmer
The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
Allison Davies
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Paynbob
It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Maddyclassicfilms
Second Best is directed by Chris Menges, has a screenplay by David Cook(based on his novel)and stars William Hurt, Nathan Yapp, Jane Horrocks and Keith Allen. Emotionally reserved postmaster Graham Holt(William Hurt)lives alone spending his time looking after his father who has suffered a series of strokes.He sees an advertisement for an adoption agency and decides to adopt a boy.He chooses the emotionally disturbed Jimmy(Nathan Yapp)who has had an horrific childhood.His mum committed suicide and his father(Keith Allen) was arrested when he was little and he has a history of self harm.Both Graham and Jimmy are damaged souls,Graham realises he has to feel again if he is ever going to help Jimmy lead a normal life where he is loved and brought up well.It's the slow bonding of this pair that makes Second Best work so well.William gives one of his best performances and manages a credible Welsh accent.With small supporting roles by Jane Horrocks,Prunella Scales and John Hurt as Grahams eccentric uncle this is well worth a watch.
moonspinner55
Chris Menges, who in 1992 directed the very fine, unusual drama "CrissCross", takes on another curious, strangely moving film with "Second Best". William Hurt plays a single, middle-aged postman in a Welsh village who wants to adopt a boy. We learn why, and we also learn why the young boy who's been selected has such a mercurial nature, but these themes (childhood-vs.-adulthood, rebellious-vs.-being loved), however topical, have been well-traveled. It is Hurt's performance which is something new. The way he moves his head quickly to avert an emotion or a confusion, the way he smiles when surprised...the man is, of course, an actor, but he's not actorly; he's not a beguiling trickster, he is an actor of deeply human emotions. When he loses his temper at the kid, it's not unusual to find him saying the next morning that he's willing to continue on this path. It's a refreshing piece of work by Hurt, who I feel has been erratic since finding major stardom on the screen. The youngster, Chris Cleary Miles, is kept low-keyed (he's very natural), while John Hurt is funny and fine in a brief supporting role. Alan Cumming looks a little theatrical and out-of-place as an adoption caseworker (at first I feared there would be a dreadful sub-plot involving Cumming as the villain of the piece). A fine film, though Menges does fiddle with a few camera tricks to convey emotions not in the script. It turns out these artistic flourishes were not necessary, as the main character and his desire to be a good, decent father manage to express a lot more. *** out of ****
wchcky
Excellent film. Both the boy (Yapp) and Hurt were great. Seemed real life like. Hurt the lonely man, and the boy as one needing love. It highlighted the struggles both and to go through before they could finally come together as father and son. Also the musical track is great.
Petie3-2
Paul wrote a beautiful review with the proper amount of reverence towards what is in our culture almost a sacred subject, the father son relationship. This is the story of two such relationships, each one gone bad, and how the two survivors find the solution in each other and could find the solution in nobody else. The filmmakers also had a problem which needed a solution and found that in the cinematography, direction and marvelous acting and casting (several actors for each character at different ages) and music you'll remember long after the lights go up. Because it's such a small scale picture I would only give it a 9/10 and BenHur and Laurence of Arabia get a 10, yet they're no better, only bigger.
