Review: The Boys are Back (12A)****

The solution: a road trip to connect with his child, plus occasional visits from his dead wife, offering sage advice. Quite suddenly Joe (Clive Owen) has to learn to be a mum and a dad when he barely knows how to be a father. It's hard to find a bond with his son – and his elder boy, a living remnant from a former marriage whom he invites to stay and who agrees. There is lots of boisterous action but no feminine influence. Except Laura, a neighbour and a crutch to lean on.

Stories of grief and mourning are two-a-penny. What sets The Boys are Back apart is its roots in a very real tragedy and the believability of the chaos that surrounds Joe as he struggles to be the perfect dad in the vacuum left by the loss of his wife.

One sequence sums up the vibe of the picture. Struggling with work commitments, Joe has to go on assignment. He leaves the boys, expecting the elder one to step up and be an adult while he is away. Naturally, it all goes spectacularly awry and the house is invaded by local kids. Joe is seven hours away by car. What can he do? It's every parent's nightmare.

Taking his inspiration from Simon Carr's raw memoir, director Scott (Shine) Hicks creates a multi-dimensional story. Artie misses mum. Harry wants inclusion. Mother-in-law wants to see stability. And Laura? A friend indeed.

This is one of those life-affirming, life-enriching, character-building tales that no Hollywood scriptwriter could create, because this one is true. Think The Pursuit of Happyness with more hope. It is a perfect portrait of the fall-out caused by an early, unexpected death.

Owen, rapidly establishing himself as one of our best and most watchable actors, gives a tender and nuanced performance. In doing so, he becomes the leading man he should always have been.

The Boys are Back is a great film about love, loss, dysfunction, redemption, catharsis and new life. In the end, it's all about love.