Boulevard
A reserved married professor confronts a lifetime of concealed desire when an unexpected encounter makes self-denial impossible.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- intimate
- restrained
- quiet evening
- reflective viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found Robin Williams's layered performance compelling while viewing the surrounding drama as dour, simple, and insufficiently distinctive.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nolan has understood his attraction to men since adolescence but only begins confronting it openly at sixty after meeting Leo.
Nolan is a respected professor and married man whose conventional public identity conflicts with his unexpressed sexuality.
The film uses Nolan's interior and relational conflict, particularly Robin Williams's subdued performance, as its primary dramatic engine.
Nolan's feelings for Leo directly threaten the equilibrium of his marriage and career.
Films like Boulevard, and why
A Single Man
shared themes of late-in-life self-discovery, concealed sexuality, marital strain, and restrained queer drama
45 Years
shared intimate drama about an older protagonist confronting suppressed desire and emotional isolation
The Crying Game
shared queer coming-out themes, understated tone, and tension between private identity and social respectability
The Hours
shared focus on closeted desire, loneliness, and a carefully observed marriage under emotional pressure
Movie Details
- Director
- Dito Montiel
- Release Date
- 2014-04-20
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (292)
Cast
- Robin Williams
- Kathy Baker
- Roberto Aguire
- Giles Matthey
- Eléonore Hendricks
- Bob Odenkirk
- Henry Haggard
- Gary Gardner
- Crystal Gray
- Joshua Decker
Where to watch in United States
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Boulevard about?
- A reserved married professor confronts a lifetime of concealed desire when an unexpected encounter makes self-denial impossible.
- What is Boulevard like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Boulevard as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Boulevard violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Boulevard as mild.
- What did critics think of Boulevard?
- Critics broadly found Robin Williams's layered performance compelling while viewing the surrounding drama as dour, simple, and insufficiently distinctive.
- Which films are like Boulevard?
- Films with a similar feel include A Single Man, 45 Years, The Crying Game, and The Hours.
- How long is Boulevard?
- Boulevard runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch Boulevard?
- In United States, Boulevard is available to rent or buy from Google Play Movies, YouTube.
