Review - Boyhood

Boyhood is one of those films which showcase life in front of you. Its brilliant.

 

Richard Linklater is a very different director. His work is, at many times, highly intricate portray of human lives. His work is subtle, often slow but always affecting. So when he makes a film spanning over 12 years and shot over 12 years about a boy growing up - you know it is going to be very personal, special piece of work which will present some great reflections on - well, childhood to boyhood.

So Boyhood is indeed all of this. Even though I am writing this review being an Indian, and Boyhood is quintessential American film, the film is remarkably true to universal nature of growing up. It stars Ellar Coltrane as Mason, initially as a six-year old boy, to all the way upto age 18. The film starts sometime in 2002. Mason lives with her single parent mother Olivia (Patricia Arquette) and elder sister Samantha. Their father Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke), sees them on weekends and holidays. Over the entire runtime of over 2 and a half hours, the film presents Mason's journey from a fragile 6 year old to a determined 18 year old. And what an amazing journey it is.

The script is wonderfully written - it actually gives all the major event references of respective time frame. Mason is shown playing on a Game Boy Advance early on, going for mid-night release of Half-Blood Prince. As time moves, he and his sister grow - the film references to presidential elections, Iraq War. As the film draws to closure, we even catch references to Lady Gaga, Twilight and Facebook. The character development is so detailed that the film doesn't feels like a "shot and acted" production - its more like peeking through someone's life - his family, his friends. The relationships are so well portrayed that they never feel over-dramatic even for a single instance. It is even more astounding that Linklater had only beginning and ending of the film in mind when he started writing/directing in 2002. He developed the entire script each year, by revising what they have shot previously and taking it forward. And yet, the end-product never feels "stiched together". The narration flows organically without any bumps over its entire duration.

Acting is natural. That is what I can say about the cast of Boyhood. Ellar Coltrane and Patricia Arquette in particular, are so real in their emotions and actions that they elevate the film to what the film has become. Every actor in this film - let it be Patricia's exes, Mason Sr's new wife or her parents, Mason's girlfriend Sheena, Mason's friends or even a plumber guy in a small scene is natural - the film is full of wonderful characters, some of them may remind you of someone from your own life.

It is rather rare to find a film with flesh and blood characters and real narrative these days. What Linklater has achieved - it could be labelled difficult (or easy, given the fact that they had so much time) - is remarkable. Holding on to the faith of completing a film in 12-years alone requires applause. It started as an experiment many years ago and the result of perseverance of a film-maker has resulted in a gem. You may call it slow or even without story - but that's magic of this film- it moves you without story. It may be sequence of events and dynamics of relationships. But that's life. So Boyhood is 12-year snapshot of life. 

4/5