“Steve” Shifts Focus,But Loses the Emotional Core of “Shy“
by Julia Evans,World-Today-News.com
A film adaptation shoudl enhance, not overshadow, the source material. That’s the central question posed by Steve, the new film from Max Porter, adapted from his own acclaimed novella, Shy. While a refreshing departure from the typical “faithful adaptation” model, Porter’s decision to fundamentally rewrite the story for the screen ultimately diminishes the raw emotional power that made the original so compelling.
Shy, on the page, is a visceral experience. We’re plunged directly into the turbulent inner world of a teenage boy grappling with intense emotions – love, self-destruction, and a constant, unsettling flux between feeling immense and insignificant. Set in a 1995 English boarding school dubbed “Last Chance” for troubled youth,Porter’s writing doesn’t ask for understanding,but for a temporary inhabitation of a chaotic mind. It’s a provocation to empathy, challenging us to resist judgment and simply feel alongside Shy.However, Steve dramatically alters this outlook. Instead of remaining within Shy’s internal landscape, the film centers on Steve (played with captivating nuance by Cillian Murphy), the school’s headteacher. Porter himself describes this as a “rewrite,” and it’s a bold move – a recognition of cinema as a distinct art form, not merely a visual echo of literature. Yet, the result is a frustratingly distanced narrative.
By shifting the focus to Steve, shy (portrayed by Jay Lycurgo) is relegated to the periphery. He becomes an enigma, a “tragic puzzle” for Steve and the school’s staff – including teachers Amanda (Tracey Ullman, delivering a surprisingly strong dramatic performance) and Shola (Simbi Ajikawo, also known as the rapper Little Simz) – to decipher. The intimate, overwhelming experience of being Shy is lost, replaced by observation of Shy.While Murphy’s performance is undeniably compelling - building on his recent successes in films like Oppenheimer – it comes at the expense of the story’s emotional heart. Steve is a thoughtful, well-acted film, but it ultimately feels like a missed chance. Porter’s daring choice to reimagine his own work,while admirable in its ambition,ultimately yields a less impactful and emotionally resonant experience than the original novella.
Keywords: Steve movie review,Shy adaptation,Max Porter,Cillian Murphy,film review,book adaptation,independent film,Simbi Ajikawo,Tracey Ullman,boarding school drama,mental health,film analysis.
