HONEY BOY **

Film as therapy. Shia LaBeouf wrote "Honey Boy", (it was directed by Alma Har'el), and plays his own father in this movie about a child actor, (Norah Jupe), who grows into a deeply troubled adult actor, (Lucas Hedges), and is based on LaBeouf's own life and while the movie is well done and terrifically acted by both LaBeouf and Hedges, (getting better all the time), it's not very entertaining. LaBeouf Sr. was obviously a seriously troubled individual himself and if this movie is to be believed he screwed up LaBeouf Jr's life and there's nothing very edifying in watching it being played out as quasi-fiction while these kind of 'biopics' have been done often and better before. Watching LaBeouf and his alter-egos Hedges and Jupe bare their souls feels disconcertingly voyeuristic. Still, see it if only for some very fine acting and keep telling yourself, it's only a movie.