Boyhood (2014) (AGH Film Fest)
Richard Linklater's 12 year project comes to fruition
Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette & Lorelai Linklater
Running Time: 165 mins
Release date: 15 August, 2014 (US)
Worldwide Gross: $37,537,000
Basic Plot:
Boyhood follows Mason Evans Jr. (Ellar Coltrane) as he transform from a young boy into a young man. Set in Texas, the film documents the alterations and adaptations that a boy has to pursue in the 21st Century. From dealing with his annoying sister, trying to understand why his parents are no longer a couple, to establishing whether elves are real or not. Mason is a curious boy having to cope with many strains that modern life throws at a young boy. As he grows he encounters many other changes, from living with his mother’s new partners to eventually going off to college. All of which are documented over a 12 year span in what encapsulates our times.
Clock Watching? 20/20
Boyhood deals with our times, our ordeals and offers everything and nothing to explain their occurrence, doing so with absolute perfection. I haven’t seen a film that encapsulates the 21st Century so far with such gravitas, without trying to deliver a message or moral code in which to abide. This, for me, is what Boyhood does that many films find hard to achieve – a lack of control on its audience. This is by no means a criticism; this ability to allow the viewer to take what they want from the film is no easy achievement. At 165 minutes, I must admit that I was wondering if I would be clock watching, but the time went by as if I was looking back at a photo album and wondering where the time has gone. This is the closest thing I have ever seen to my perfect film.
Oscar Performances? 20/20
The Academy can do what they want with their awards, this is beyond any ceremonious award nights, this is a master class in acting. In fact, they don’t act! It feels as if there is not one piece of written dialogue, or portrayal of character, they are just people and we are watching. Ethan Hawke plays Mason’s father superbly and encapsulates the modern man: a dad with a heart as big as anyone’s, happy to discuss tricky issues such as the use of contraception with his son and daughter, yet flawed in many ways. Patricia Arquette is fantastic as the hard-working, loving mother, who also has a blemished persona. Coltrane is perfect as the little boy and young man that we happily focus on and even Linklater’s daughter Lorelai is excellent as Mason’s sister, Samantha. A great ensemble and a series of great performances (or not!).
Lights, Camera, Direction? 20/20
Many directors and filmmakers out there may have thought of making a film over a period of time, and many are kicking themselves for not having thought of it. Richard Linklater did, and for that he is a genius. However, it could have backfired, this is by no means an easy task. Yet the film glided through the spools of the projector, not missing a beat. Linklater enables the viewer to watch, watch a story unfold without telling it. His direction creates a film that bridges the huge gap between documentary and fictional filmmaking and gives more to both. I have no words of criticism of this movie or Linklater’s handling of the toughest of tasks, he truly has given a document of our times.
Telling a Friend? 18/20
I want to tell the world, but also hold it close. I got so much from this film that I am afraid to tell the wrong person about it and hear them question its achievement. I will tell everyone and it will be my radar for other’s personality (or at least film taste) and our compatibility. I think there is something in this film for every single person who has lived, and if they don’t think so then we might not get along.
Again? 20/20
I’d watch it right now! I could watch this over and over as it gave me such a feeling of joy and reflection that I feel I need it close to my side to remind me of what a beautiful and complicated world we live in. In my eyes, Boyhood gives everything that a piece of art attempts to offer.
Total: 98%
Every living person should see this, Boyhood is the incarnation of modern life.
by Russell Farnham
