Boyhood
Boyhood
(2014)
A Review by Grant Kanigan
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Written by: Richard Linklater
Starring: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette,
Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater
Rating: PG
Release Date: July 26th, 2014
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| Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater & Ethan Hawke in Boyhood © 2014 - IFC Film |
Filmed over the course of twelve years, Boyhood follows Mason, (Ellar Coltrane), beginning at age five. Living with his mother, (Patricia Arquette), and sister Samantha, (Lorelei Linklater), Mason spends his days aimlessly dreaming while wondering why his father, (Ethan Hawke), is so absent from his life. It's not until his father shows up from working in Alaska, that Mason realizes his father isn't the responsible patriarch he had hoped for. The film continues in this fashion, following the quiet Mason as he watches his intelligent mother struggle to raise two children on her own while trying to get her masters degree in psychology. We see Mason interact with his mothers two disturbed husbands who become absent by the end of the film. Ultimately it's tough to give a synopsis for a film such as Boyhood.
At two hours and forty five minutes, Boyhood is a mish-mash of everything from sentimental moments between a son and his parents to brutally cold moments between an alcoholic stepfather and his shy and nervous stepson. Like Mason explains to a roommate at the end of the film; "do you ever feel like it's the opposite of the saying 'seize the moment'? And instead it's like the moment seizes you?" Boyhood is a series of moments. Universal in it's appeal and message, it's also unique enough to represent a real life. In that fashion, Boyhood is a success. Most of that success is due to the anchors of the film: 'mom' and 'dad.' Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke, both unsure and frazzled at the beginning of the film, showcase massive character arcs, owning up to their weaknesses and ultimately doing their best to raise their child. Hawke and Arquette, over the course of 12 years, showcase dazzling range, and deserve any awards recognition they receive this season. While the overall idea, execution and acting, (from the professionals), is what make Boyhood memorable, it does have a plethora of issues.
One has to wonder how ethical it is to pluck a child at five years old and commit him to filming a movie for the next twelve or so years of his life? On top of that, Linklater uses his own daughter as a major character within the film. It's not like she had any choice in the matter once she starred in the first few segments. If a ten year old signs on to a month or two of filming, I think it's a fair assumption that they can quit or move on if they want to. Yet, if you're trapped for over a decade, especially when it's your father making the movie, there's no escape. On top of that, Linklater becomes trapped by his own devices. Both Lorelei and Coltrane are not trained actors, and it shows. While they're cute and interesting at the start, you can see the fatigue on their faces in the last ninety minutes of the film. As well, their rebellious attitudes become tiresome and at times offensive. While it's easy to identify and empathize with Mason in his first few years, his older attitude is arrogant, pretentious, disrespectful and sometimes downright moronic; his character becomes extremely off-putting.
While Boyhood doesn't live up to it's grandiose goals, it's still an ambitious and heartfelt film, and Linklater, Hawke and Arquette deserve some credit for following through on what amounts to a daring twelve year social experiment. Yet, at the end of the day, it's a complete exploitation of youth, and at nearly three hours, doesn't justify it's runtime. We can applaud the filmmakers for their ambitiousness and poetic risk taking, but ultimately, like the character in Boyhood, the film doesn't amount to much. We all have stories, the trouble is, some of them just aren't that interesting.
Grant's Rating 3/5 Stars
Patricia Arquette & Ellar Coltrane in Boyhood: "I Thought There Would Be More"
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