Great spin on the hidden genius premise.

Rating: 8/10 (4 February 2018)

Matt Damon as Will and Ben Affleck as Chuckie fit into my visualization of the stereotypical young adult male from Boston in the 90's. The fact that the two were both raised in Massachusetts makes me smile a little when I realize they are most likely playing a version of themselves from the past but with that said I couldn't have enjoyed this movie more. I assumed far too much about this film just based on the quick synopsis I had read beforehand. Will being the problem child/genius was not quite what I was expecting. Typically these type of characters are written to be a sort of incredibly anti-social recluse, where as Will just received a really bad roll of the dice and grew up with little to no positive guidance and instead used his brilliance to skirt the law and impress his friends.
The introduction of Robyn Williams' character, Sean, was the perfect addition to balance out Will's reckless nature. Sean's heartfelt approach to therapy is something that should be taken considered by real mental health professionals and Robin William's personality shines through perfectly as a foul-mouthed man that has experienced a world full of struggle and pain. A more exceptional match for a young Will has entered the building, the rest can go home.
This film uses an impressive amount of close-up camera angles as a way to transition through dialogue which acts as a way to keep the viewer engaged and aware of the emotions on the characters faces. This fits perfectly with the emotional impact that Will and Sean's interactions have. What an amazing film, I will be watching this one a second time.