Well I got around to seeing "About a Boy" today, which happened to be playing at the artsy theater down the street from me (a good 15-minute walk from my place; figured I didn't need to drive everywhere in this city). It was a very funny film and touching at times, as Hugh Grant learns how to grow up thanks to a very dorky 12-year-old boy.

For some reason, I could sorta see myself in Hugh Grant's role of Will (although I'm actually working and not just living off the royalties from a one-hit wonder). He was subscribing to the idea that he is an island; the star of his own TV show (which is not an ensemble drama). He was his own person and really had little to do with other people's lives, as it was all about him. That's because he knew inside he had nothing to offer the world, until he came across this kid who actually showed him he could offer something to someone (and in the case of the often pathetic Marcus, it was a big help). I don't think I'm as shallow as Will, but every so often I'll get into that idea that I need a person or two in the inner circle around me -- so it's not always just about me.

The overall story was better compared to "High Fidelity" (I haven't seen "Fever Pitch" -- Nick Hornby's other novel turned into a film), at least once the relationship between Will and Marcus started developing. But HF had better secondary characters with Dick and Barry, the other guys in the record store. On the other hand, the main female characters in AB didn't weigh down the film like Iben Hjejle did as Laura as John Cusack's girlfriend in HF. But enough with the nitpicking, it's well-written and decently acted film that's somewhat lightweight but still fun to watch.