Boyhood
I've just arrived home and felt the need to get what I felt about the film that I saw this evening of my chest.
Leading up to this film, I was intrigued by the idea that it had been filmed over twelve years, and used the same cast. Wow, what a fresh idea! It seemed like it would be my kind of film, too. What I mean by this is that I'm not much of a Hollywood Blockbuster film watcher; I much prefer my films to hit me with dialogue and substance; instead of wowing me with explosions and witty (crap) one-liners, I'd rather have a speech that shows me the layers of the character that I'm watching on screen.
Boyhood is a great example of this. And then some.
I'm not too hot on remembering who writes and directs certain films, but I was pleased to see, in the end credits, that this film was written and directed by Richard Linklater. Now, I'm not a huge fan of his, who knows everything that he's ever done, but I am aware of the Before series of films, starring Ethan Hawke (who plays an important role in Boyhood) and Julie Delpy. The first film of that series, in particular, blew me away when I first saw it. Quite simply, it is about two people who meet in the middle of Europe, enjoy each other's company, talk about everything and anything, and grow closer as the film moves forward. There's no dramatic explosions or crises; just great dialogue and interactions that allow you to see who these characters are.
From what I understand of Linklater's work, it's what he brings to all his films: real people in real situations. The Before series brought this by the bucket load and so does Boyhood.
The most pleasing thing about this film is the fact that it used the same actors over the twelve year period. Ethan Hawke can do no wrong in my eyes; his performances in the Before series hooked me in, and despite not seeking out all his other films on Netflix or other methods, if I see him advertised for an upcoming role I'm interested in what might be.
The boy, himself, that is the focus of this film, Mason (Ellar Coltrane) is also a great factor of this film. I'm not saying that they could have put any kid in there to do this role, but it's really pleasing to see the same actor grow up before our eyes over the twelve years that this is set. It's also pleasing to see him go through the same experiences that we all do when growing up; but unlike most films that skim over these experiences, and with different actors playing the different stages of life, this was so unique to see the same boy, with different haircuts, take us through this journey. It felt more personal, and almost like we knew the young adult that he turns into due to seeing him grow-up in front of us over the two-and-a-half hour duration.
@jimmosangle
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