BOYHOOD (2014)

Genre: Drama
Director: Richard Linklater
Cast: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke
RunTime: 2 hrs 46 mins
Rating: NC16 (Coarse Language)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/boyhood

Opening Day: 14 August 2014

Synopsis: Filmed over short periods from 2002 to 2013, Boyhood is a groundbreaking cinematic experience covering 12 years in the life of a family. At the center is Mason, who with his sister Samantha, is taken on an emotional and transcendent journey through the years, from childhood to adulthood.

Movie Review:

So this widely acclaimed film by Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Schoolof Rock) has a runtime of 166 minutes. That’s two hours and 46 minutes. To be honest, as much as this reviewer has heard so much praise about this movie (there seems to be zero negative reviews), he wasn’t sure whether he’d be able to sit through almost three hours watching a young boy grow up from six to 18 years old. 15 minutes into the film, he was sure this was a journey worth taking, simply because it’s like watching himself grow up from a 30 odd year old adult’s point of view. And this experience, while reflective, can be bittersweet, inspiring and sometimes helpless at the same time.

Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Linklater's latest work tells the universal story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason, who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. You see him living with their recently divorced mother in small town Texas, then moving to Houstonfor a new life, before his elder sister having a boyfriend and eventually moving to Austin. Amidst these seemingly inconsequential life events, you meet Mason’s father who is committed to meeting his children regularly, his two stepfathers (an abusive alcoholic and a strong headed war veteran), and watch him go through several stages of his academic life, take on different worldviews and perspectives and wonder what life has in store for him.

Yes, one can argue that there isn’t much of a plot in this movie, and how viewers seem to be watching a reality show is a convenient gimmick, but you can’t deny the fact that this is the exact thing every filmmaker wants to do – to chronicle a protagonist growing up in real life. The film could have been shot in a month, using actors of different ages, but you’d have to admit that’s really the cheaper alternative to tell a story this real and true to life. Hence, the result would be much less compelling.

You’ll smile and identify with the film’s countless cultural and popular references over the span of 12 years, from Britney Spears’ “Oops! I Did It Again” and Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up the Sun” to Coldplay’s “Yellow” and Daft Punk’s “What is Life”; and references to the Harry Potter fan boy period, Christopher Nolan’s Batman reboot, the popularity of Disney’s High School Musical and the influence of social media – you’ll feel like the film is telling your story.

Linklater’s masterful direction has brought out brilliant performances in the cast. The relatively unknown Ellar Coltrane’s portrayal of Mason is engagingly heartfelt, his daughter Lorelei Linklater displays an enigmatic screen presence as Mason’s elder sister (we love the scene where she irritates Mason with her nasal singing), Patricia Arquette is wonderful as the capable single mother (watch out for the unforgettably powerful final scene where she reflects on how life has turned out for her) and Ethan Hawke is as charming as ever as the seemingly good for nothing father.

The 54 year old filmmaker won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 64^th Berlin International Film Festival, and deservingly so as this is truly a landmark in filmmaking. He is no stranger to such a style (having helmed the interlinked Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight over 18 years from 1995 to 2013), and with his latest film, you’d have to admit Linklater is one hell of a storyteller on what life is all about. 

Movie Rating:

(Put it simply, this film shows you what life is all about)

Review by John Li