Click to play videoSometimes, a good piece of acting, a terrific performance is reason enough to enjoy a movie, and that's completely true in the case of the film I'm going to recommend today.
The 2002 film Sonny stars James Franco as a young man recently discharged from the army who returns home to his mother, an ageing prostitute who now operates as a madam, only to find out that she expects he'll take up from where he'd left off - working as a male prostitute, entertaining wealthy female clients in neighborhood towns.
Sonny, for his part is determined to start a new life in the normal world, an ambition that's shared by a pretty young girl - played by Mena Suvari - who works for Sonny's mother.
But Sonny's first effort at integrating with normal society proves so horribly disastrous that he runs right back to mamma and the life he'd sworn off.
His only salvation is the relationship he shares with his new girlfriend, and the almost father-son vibe he enjoys with his mother's longtime companion.
Unfortunately his mother is too manipulative and she knows exactly how to emotionally blackmail her son into doing as she wishes. Only thing, Sonny hits a self-destructive streak, and he's now teetering on the edge.
Like I said before, if there's one reason to watch Sonny then that reason is James Franco, the bright young actor who plays Peter Parker's best friend Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man movies.
For an actor as young as Franco, I think you'll agree this is a surprisingly mature and restrained performance, and don't forget it's a very tricky role - one that isn't easy to empathise with, if you ask me.
The emotional conflict that Sonny faces in the film is really the core of the story how do you get away from a mother who needs you, but who's clearly destroying your life?
Let me tell you a little fact about Sonny that you probably didn't know, the film's been directed by popular Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage who tackles this delicate subject with such care.
See if you can find Sonny on DVD, it's a good film with a truly fantastic performance by lead actor James Franco.
I think it's a film that will invariably result in a discussion, a debate among those who see it together, so round up a few friends this weekend and settle into your seats comfortably because Sonny is well worth your money.
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