Boyhood

Starring: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater, Libby Vallari, Marco Perella, Elijah Smith
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2014

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Follows Mason (Ellar Coltrane) from his early boyhood through departing for college.

Review:

Tim: It's so hard to accurately describe how incredible Richard Linklater's Boyhood is. It's a monumentally ambitious, original film. It's stunning to think about the long-term planning that went into this film, which follows a boy and his family over the course of twelve years. The fact that Linklater follows the same people, checking in once a year is remarkable, but the fact that he turns it into this amazing story that flows and never feels jarring is a truly remarkable feat. This is hands-down one of the absolute best movies of 2014.

I love that Linklater decided to tell this story because it flies in the face of much of what Hollywood is doing to attract eyeballs. There's no majorly dramatic event, nothing truly shocking happens. It's just a heartfelt and interesting look at one boy and his family as they navigate a regular life over the course of twelve years. While there isn't anything of the typically Hollywood in this film, it felt real and honest. That authenticity led to this great emotional connection that is established with the main characters.

I have to give immense credit to Ellar Coltrane. Linklater did a remarkable job of casting this young boy. There's just no way you could predict who he would turn into over the years. Linklater lucked out because he grew into this role and his authentic portrayal is mesmerizing. I just felt such a connection with Coltrane because we watch him grow up on screen in just under 3 hours. At various points in the film, I felt legitimately nervous for him, or worried for him, or just hoped things would work out for him. That doesn't happen very often in films- the emotional connection that Linklater establishes with his characters is truly amazing. Coltrane is front and center and makes this movie. It's so amazing to me how Linklater somehow managed to pick the perfect kid for this movie.

Besides Coltrane, the film has a strong supporting cast. Patricia Arquette is the most impressive, but not in an overly flashy way. She showed up year after year and turned in a solid performance as Coltrane's mom. I don't think I ever paused or was impressed with any single Arquette moment, but taken as a whole, her performance is very, very good. Arquette won the film's only Academy Award (how is that possible), bringing home Best Supporting Actress. Ethan Hawke is very good as well. I loved seeing how he changed and grew older year by year. I thought Lorelei Linklater was interesting. As the director's daughter, it's pretty obvious how she got the part. There are moments where she felt incredibly strong and moments when I cringed at her acting. It was just as interesting to see her evolve over the period of the film. While she's not as immediately memorable as Coltrane, Linklater does feel authentic and real in the part.

I was shocked at how quickly the 165 minute run time went. Yes, this is a very long movie, but the film is made up of these beautiful moments. The passage of time holds our attention and with every jump, I immediately wanted to know how the characters had changed and what was new in their lives. It never felt like the film was too slow or dragged on- it completely held my attention from start to finish. I was actually a bit sad at the conclusion of the film- I wanted more. That is the mark of genius, when after almost three hours, you wish there was more to see.

What's so beautiful about Boyhood is how Linklater manages to tell this incredible story about regular people leading regular lives. And yet, the normalcy of their ups and downs never feels bland. We see ourselves in their struggles and their triumphs. In just under three hours, we're visually reminded of how quickly time passes by, how we go from being boys and girls to men and women. We see how our focus in life changes from video games and friends to the opposite sex, to wondering about some of life's biggest mysteries. I loved Boyhood because it's one of the most authentic, introspective movies I've ever seen. I lament that this film didn't win more Oscars, because it's truly remarkable.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8.5



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