BOYHOOD
3.5****
The simple, but remarkable idea behind this movie is that we follow one boy and his family as he ages from age 6 through 18. It's not a documentary, but a fictional look from director Richard Linklater ( Dazed and Confused; the 3 Before movies and School of Rock among others ) who spent 12 years, going back once a year for 2 weeks to film more footage until the boy has grown up. The idea is very ambitious and what most people want to know is whether it was worth the wait. The answer is YES !! Boyhood is not a complex artsy exploration of the state of childhood nor does it even have a complex story. It's simply about a boy named Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane) who goes through childhood along with his parents (played by Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke) and sister Samantha (played by Lorelei Linklater, the daughter of the Director). The stepparents, new schools, love and life fall into place as we witness Mason's journey into adulthood. That's it.
Watching someone's life on cinema is nothing new, but to see it this so extensively and impressively done is quite unique. Had it been done with various child actors, it would have not been as interesting. It helps that young actor Ellar Coltrane made the growing-up trip… the 12 years rather well as a fine young actor. We get to see what kind of kid he was and go with him as he learns from his mistakes and others.
Mason doesn't have much of a personality until the second half of Boyhood, but he's not really supposed to. He's the every BOY who reacts to the decisions and personalities of his family and environment. This allows for his ideology and thoughts to shape his personality later on. Both Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke add much to a movie that needs great performances from everyone to make this situation work. Boyhood works because it all feels natural. There's no sudden heart attack or car accident or lottery win that changes the basic story line.
The simple, but remarkable idea behind this movie is that we follow one boy and his family as he ages from age 6 through 18. It's not a documentary, but a fictional look from director Richard Linklater ( Dazed and Confused; the 3 Before movies and School of Rock among others ) who spent 12 years, going back once a year for 2 weeks to film more footage until the boy has grown up. The idea is very ambitious and what most people want to know is whether it was worth the wait. The answer is YES !! Boyhood is not a complex artsy exploration of the state of childhood nor does it even have a complex story. It's simply about a boy named Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane) who goes through childhood along with his parents (played by Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke) and sister Samantha (played by Lorelei Linklater, the daughter of the Director). The stepparents, new schools, love and life fall into place as we witness Mason's journey into adulthood. That's it.
Watching someone's life on cinema is nothing new, but to see it this so extensively and impressively done is quite unique. Had it been done with various child actors, it would have not been as interesting. It helps that young actor Ellar Coltrane made the growing-up trip… the 12 years rather well as a fine young actor. We get to see what kind of kid he was and go with him as he learns from his mistakes and others.
Mason doesn't have much of a personality until the second half of Boyhood, but he's not really supposed to. He's the every BOY who reacts to the decisions and personalities of his family and environment. This allows for his ideology and thoughts to shape his personality later on. Both Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke add much to a movie that needs great performances from everyone to make this situation work. Boyhood works because it all feels natural. There's no sudden heart attack or car accident or lottery win that changes the basic story line.
"Boyhood"
is like a photo album. Instead of focusing on some of the major things of
childhood, we get to see the smaller moments. The ones that can mean so much
more to us, whether it's moving to a new house and school, a camping trip with
a parent, or a discussion with a teacher. Richard Linklater captures the
essence of childhood and shows it all. There are plenty of coming of age films,
but this one truly gets at the heart of childhood and the transition to
adulthood.
The
movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes long and for some people it may seem slow and
too long. Also since it doesn’t have any startling or really dramatic moments,
it could leave some folks a little bored. BUT capturing and showing 12 years of
growing up and living takes time and spending approximately 13 minutes
per year ( 166 minutes divided by 12)
is hardly overdoing a story. If you accept the premise you need to be patient
to let the story flow.
Clark
PS:
Boyhood was shot in 39 days, which is modest by Hollywood
standards. What isn't modest is the fact that those 39 days were spread out
over the course of 12 years. Every summer for a weekend or so the cast
and crew reunited with $200,000 of the studio's money to create the next
chapter in Mason's life, with even Director Linklater not knowing how the
story would evolve from one year to the next. (Linklater said he'd check in
with Coltrane prior to shooting to see where his life was, then loosely base
Mason's evolution on it.) The movie is 166 minutes long and
every 10-15 minutes, the story jumps to the next year in their lives, and
the results are endlessly fascinating
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