The History Boys

Now to try the review in bullet point format.

• The characters are a bit stagy, very outgoing in class, but then this happens a lot in films set in classes.
  
• A little surprising to have them sing in class and re-enact classic films. Movie directors just love old films, don't they?
  
• None of the teachers are recognizable (to me), and aren't particularly attractive, but all good actors. Kudos for casting choice.
  
• Despite dealing with a rather controversial topic (teachers who have a thing for their students), the students seem rather tolerant. They see it as an annoyance.
  
• Far more literate (movie, literature, history) than most movies set in schools, which often ignore the education aspects.
  
• Humor is subtle, which is rare in film. Sometimes a look, sometimes using analogy (a song, history) to make a point.
  
• Addresses (somewhat) the issue of teacher interest in students.
  
• Probably missing something because it's British. In particular, the pecking order of various colleges, and how Oxbridge sits atop this pecking order.
  
• This extra study period is not that familiar to me (it appears they have more school after school to prep for the Oxbridge exams).
  
• The film focuses on a small handful of characters, three teachers, and half a dozen students. Rest of school, outside influences, are pretty much ignored.
  
• With so many characters, stereotypes are used to some extent. The Muslim, the black, the Catholic, the Jew. Some of the questions they ask seem a bit out of place given that they should all know each other pretty well.
  
• The film doesn't much question whether these students should go to Oxbridge or not, except for Rudge, who just wants to play sports. But his character is a bit minor.
  
• Wasn't sure how they were going to play Hector off Irwin. At first, I thought they would be rival teachers, and they are, philosophically, but not personally.
  
• A bit surprising to have Dakin so nonchalant about his sexuality and willingness to experiment, but it does raise an interesting point about bright kids wanting to impress their teachers (he says as much at one point).
  
• It's slyly funny, getting knowing laughs. This isn't the usual kind of humor you see in films, though perhaps more of what you might get in plays. Feels like the sensibilities of those writing plays and those writing screenplays are quite different. Plays seem to make a greater effort to be liked than films, which can simply be confusing. This may be due to the nature of a play, which often survives by staying on for months and months and months. To do so requires a storyline people really enjoy when they leave, meaning it should be smart, but likable.
  
• A bit PC to have such a mix of kids, but the black kid and the Muslim are fairly minor characters.
  
• Film is very male-centric. Although Dakin has a girlfriend, it's Posner's longing for Dakin that is the story. Dakin's relation with the girlfriend is mostly about getting to bed with her, not treating her as a person. He has a far more complex relation with Irwin, the teacher.
  
• Irwin looks a lot like Stephen Colbert.
  
• Does the actor playing Hector really have teeth like that? Ah British dentistry.
  
• A bit of a copout on the ending, I thought.
  
• The film seems to know it's smart, and rewards the clever viewer for following along.
  
• Headmaster is, of course, a bit stereotyped, made out to be only concerned about the school's ranking. I suppose that's not unusual.
  
• Despite being set in the 80s, there's very little sense of the 80s (unlike, say Donnie Darko, which really is as much about life in the 80s as it is a strange SF story). It could have taken place in the 60s, even it's attitude towards homosexuality.
  
• What about math? Don't they study that?
  
• Is the motorcycle bit a reference to Lawrence of Arabia?
  
• Clever use of end scene to tell what happened to the various people.
  
• Clever end credits to say who is who.
  
• Not much life outside of classes, eh? No parties or dances or anything?
  
• Not exactly sure what the point of the story was. There were many, I suppose, mostly focused around being pragmatic vs. seeking knowledge for its own sake.
  
• Overall liked it a lot, especially, the acting and comedic pacing.