Boyhood (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Writer/director Richard Linklater filmed 'Boyhood' - his extraordinary coming-of-age saga - every October over 12 consecutive years (dating back to 2002), chronicling the fictitious life of 6 yr. old Mason (Ellar Coltrane) until he reached 18. We 1st meet Mason as a child living in suburban East Texas, playing with neighborhood kids & squabbling with his precocious older sister, Samantha (Linklater's own daughter, Lorelei). At the end of this segment, Mason, Samantha, & their mother (Patricia Arquette) move to Houston which means a brand new environment, new home, new elementary school, & new friends; always slightly traumatizing. Also slightly traumatizing: Mason's mom & dad (Ethan Hawke) are divorced; they married too young; and he left for Alaska to find himself.
Mason & his sister, like most siblings in this situation, are always hoping that their parents will get back together ... but that is not to be. Lovers come & go in their mother's life. The big problem with that is: whenever mom finds a new man, she marries him for financial stability (for her children, to better her career goals) and to not be alone ... not because she necessarily loves him; and one (a loathsome Marco Perella) turns out to be a scarily abusive alcoholic. Throughout the movie, Mason faces life's little triumphs & tragedies (such as the abusive stepdad). Eventually, Mason, his sister, & his mom must make their escape and start life anew. Meanwhile, Mason's dad visits 'every so often' for various events, some ball games, camping, & offers genial-if-haphazard advice on life. Over time, Mason encounters bullies, questionable friends, girls, & takes an interest in photography. The story ends as he goes off to college to discover life's possibilities.
'Boyhood' has a serene, languid flow to it (credit Linklater & his editor, who effortlessly strings the 12 yrs. together). Rather than sticking to a standard plotline, this epic is assembled by small vignettes that show fragments of life; fragments that don't seem big in the moment, but prove to be character-building. Really, 'Boyhood' is about SO many things. It is 1st & foremost a coming-of-age tale (Mason seeing his crying mother lying on the floor with his abusive stepfather lingering over her; enjoying pictures of half-naked women with his buddies; being devastated after having his hair cut off; debating the necessity of Facebook with his high school sweetheart). Fortunately, 'Boyhood' ends on a note of such optimism that Linklater practically defies us to leave the theater without grins on our faces.
It's also a stellar film about how hard it is for parents to provide for one's children, yet still try to find a sense of self in this world. Most parents do their best to manage how their children grow (making breakfast, taking photos, documenting memorable occasions) ... only to realize yrs. later that most of life happens btwn. the "posing for photos" -- this film conveys that concept perfectly. It's also a poignant film about the unstoppable passage of time, and about 'memory'. Certain memories sting (the unfulfilled promise of a car from your father), certain memories recede over time (the fate of Mason's step-siblings). But again, time marches on.
'Boyhood' is also a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past (it's cool seeing the different clothes styles & hearing popular music as the movie proceeds). The film is also a love letter to middle/lower-middle class life in Texas -- I now feel like I get Texas a little more. Gosh, this movie us just full of small, magical moments. Even though I didn't have the same upbringing as a Mason, there are many times where I witnessed a flashing moment and said to myself, oh yeah, that's true or I remember that feeling. And while 'Boyhood' is a patience-testing 162 minutes long, I was surprised by how swiftly it moves along; just like life does.
Ellar Coltrane become less stiff on camera as the yrs. progress and ends up giving a subtly awe-inspiring performance. To me, he perfectly captured that certain type of 15-18 yr. old who is self-assured, pensive, knowledgable beyond his years, yet doesn't realize just how immature he is. As his sister, Lorelei Linklater provides an amiable presence, even if she doesn't really hold a candle to Coltrane's budding thespian skills. Ethan Hawke is wonderful as Mason's well-meaning, but flaky father. In fact, while the focus is on Ellar Coltrane and how he grew up onscreen, it's Hawke & (mostly) Patricia Arquette who we're thinking about whenever offscreen. Arquette's character puts herself out there year after year, getting knocked down, yet stands up each time a little stronger. And in her final scene, not only does she impart the heartbreak of letting a child leave the nest ... but she also reflects on the sad, flittering "here it is, there it goes" aspect of life, in general.
Now, some parts of the film felt slightly overacted, & I thought that the early years were rushed. However, in retrospect, I think it's correct to have shown the early years so quickly because, we remember our younger years in bold strokes, and not elongated, specific passages. i.e., I remember incidents in my life from many years ago, but they're like bullet points; I don't remember how I felt; I feel more in my recent memory. Though the film is fairly formless of plot, what it does best is to honor the small moments we experience & the life that those moments add up to; the million tiny things that accumulate daily which helps to shape who we are. The cumulative use of seemingly random but significant moments gives 'Boyhood' its distinctive character & surprising narrative heft. Linklater lets us live through the the love, misery, joy, & pain of Mason. I feel like I've re-lived a slice of my own adolescence while watching Mason go through his own. Excellent movie.
Mason & his sister, like most siblings in this situation, are always hoping that their parents will get back together ... but that is not to be. Lovers come & go in their mother's life. The big problem with that is: whenever mom finds a new man, she marries him for financial stability (for her children, to better her career goals) and to not be alone ... not because she necessarily loves him; and one (a loathsome Marco Perella) turns out to be a scarily abusive alcoholic. Throughout the movie, Mason faces life's little triumphs & tragedies (such as the abusive stepdad). Eventually, Mason, his sister, & his mom must make their escape and start life anew. Meanwhile, Mason's dad visits 'every so often' for various events, some ball games, camping, & offers genial-if-haphazard advice on life. Over time, Mason encounters bullies, questionable friends, girls, & takes an interest in photography. The story ends as he goes off to college to discover life's possibilities.
'Boyhood' has a serene, languid flow to it (credit Linklater & his editor, who effortlessly strings the 12 yrs. together). Rather than sticking to a standard plotline, this epic is assembled by small vignettes that show fragments of life; fragments that don't seem big in the moment, but prove to be character-building. Really, 'Boyhood' is about SO many things. It is 1st & foremost a coming-of-age tale (Mason seeing his crying mother lying on the floor with his abusive stepfather lingering over her; enjoying pictures of half-naked women with his buddies; being devastated after having his hair cut off; debating the necessity of Facebook with his high school sweetheart). Fortunately, 'Boyhood' ends on a note of such optimism that Linklater practically defies us to leave the theater without grins on our faces.
It's also a stellar film about how hard it is for parents to provide for one's children, yet still try to find a sense of self in this world. Most parents do their best to manage how their children grow (making breakfast, taking photos, documenting memorable occasions) ... only to realize yrs. later that most of life happens btwn. the "posing for photos" -- this film conveys that concept perfectly. It's also a poignant film about the unstoppable passage of time, and about 'memory'. Certain memories sting (the unfulfilled promise of a car from your father), certain memories recede over time (the fate of Mason's step-siblings). But again, time marches on.
'Boyhood' is also a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past (it's cool seeing the different clothes styles & hearing popular music as the movie proceeds). The film is also a love letter to middle/lower-middle class life in Texas -- I now feel like I get Texas a little more. Gosh, this movie us just full of small, magical moments. Even though I didn't have the same upbringing as a Mason, there are many times where I witnessed a flashing moment and said to myself, oh yeah, that's true or I remember that feeling. And while 'Boyhood' is a patience-testing 162 minutes long, I was surprised by how swiftly it moves along; just like life does.
Ellar Coltrane become less stiff on camera as the yrs. progress and ends up giving a subtly awe-inspiring performance. To me, he perfectly captured that certain type of 15-18 yr. old who is self-assured, pensive, knowledgable beyond his years, yet doesn't realize just how immature he is. As his sister, Lorelei Linklater provides an amiable presence, even if she doesn't really hold a candle to Coltrane's budding thespian skills. Ethan Hawke is wonderful as Mason's well-meaning, but flaky father. In fact, while the focus is on Ellar Coltrane and how he grew up onscreen, it's Hawke & (mostly) Patricia Arquette who we're thinking about whenever offscreen. Arquette's character puts herself out there year after year, getting knocked down, yet stands up each time a little stronger. And in her final scene, not only does she impart the heartbreak of letting a child leave the nest ... but she also reflects on the sad, flittering "here it is, there it goes" aspect of life, in general.
Now, some parts of the film felt slightly overacted, & I thought that the early years were rushed. However, in retrospect, I think it's correct to have shown the early years so quickly because, we remember our younger years in bold strokes, and not elongated, specific passages. i.e., I remember incidents in my life from many years ago, but they're like bullet points; I don't remember how I felt; I feel more in my recent memory. Though the film is fairly formless of plot, what it does best is to honor the small moments we experience & the life that those moments add up to; the million tiny things that accumulate daily which helps to shape who we are. The cumulative use of seemingly random but significant moments gives 'Boyhood' its distinctive character & surprising narrative heft. Linklater lets us live through the the love, misery, joy, & pain of Mason. I feel like I've re-lived a slice of my own adolescence while watching Mason go through his own. Excellent movie.