The film of the week this time is THE BUTCHER BOY.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118804/

The Butcher boy is one of the most underrated films of the 90's. It was directed by of Europe's best directors Neil Jordan. This is a dark comedy about a boy named Francie who feels betrayed by the world he lives in. His dad is a drunk, his Mom is suicidal, and his best friend lets him down. The town he lives in don't support him like he thinks they should. Francie also has visions of the Virgin mary. The whole film is about his gradual descent into paranoia, and possible insanity. He blames his neighbor Mrs. Nugent for all the problems in his life.

Did I mention he is only 15, and the actor who plays him is 12? It is a hell of a role for a kid to play, and Eomonn Owens plays it perfectly. Probably one of the best examples of child acting I can think of. Think of this as similar to American Psycho, but set in rural Ireland, and with a kid as the main character instead of an adult. This is a very dark, and surreal film about a boy who is forced to grow up very young and confront life rather than live in a childhood fantasy land.