Boyhood
Director: Richard Linklater
By Alex Watson
There are some directions who have pet projects which can either make or break a career. For Michael Cimino it was his big budget disaster ‘Heavens Gate’ which failed to deliver either critically and commercially and effectively killed his career. Or the three years that Francis Ford Coppola invested making ‘Apocalypse Now’ which although legendary came at great cost to his finances. In 2014, Richard Linklater has outdone them all and delivered a picture 12 years in the making! Boyhood has been one of this years most anticipated, but will the long journey bring the desired result?
Mason (Eller Coltrane) is a six year old kid who lives in Texas with his mother Olivia (Patricia Arquette) and his sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater). Over the course of the next 12 years, Mason learns some of life’s hard lessons and gets moved around continuously in search of a better life. Through this reconnects with his father, Mason Sr (Ethan Hawke), falls in love and in the course of things learns to become a better person.
Boyhood is a wonderfully realized masterpiece by Richard Linklater and I am proud to inform you that his passion and commitment to his project has paid off magnificently. Linklater takes his time to tell Mason’s story, but his transformation from being a shy and quiet young man into a self assured and confident young adult feels very naturalistic and the tale flows excellently as a result. There are many clever clues to the passing of time such as haircuts, Obama signposts and changing of motor vehicles- but throughout this tale we are transfixed by Mason. But this isn’t just any ordinary story and in some senses this is a movie about learning to become human and overcoming what obstacles block your path.
Adults and their influence play a vital role in this movie, Mason’s parents are not perfect by any means. Olivia is a smart woman who repeatedly gets together with alcoholic men who always turn out the same way- where his father is a fun loving slacker who is still himself learning to grow up. But although they have their flaws are guilty of dropping the ball on more than one occasion, they are still loving and devoted- because of this Mason becomes a better man. But these segments bring about some the movies most hysterical and emotionally charged moments, such as an awkward father/daughter talk about sex!
Perhaps the most charming element of Boyhood though, is the fact how just about any person who views this can relate to any number of the scenes of Mason growing up. As we view him flicking through a lingerie magazine with his friend, or see him wandering around the streets of Austin slowly but effortlessly in love with his then girlfriend or even goofing off in a nearly renovated house with his slacker friends, all of this rings true for the audience. The result here is one that is effortlessly charming and with an excellent soundtrack including The Hives, Arcade Fire and The Flaming Lips- our hearts glow.
Eller Coltrane emerges a real star of the screen and his progressive performance from the age of six onwards is a joy to behold. Watching him rise to becoming a charismatic and thoughtful adult on the verge of something great marks him out a future star. Undertaking this type of a role could have either flown or crashed the film, but Coltrane ensures that it flies higher than we could have imagined!
Ethan Hawke is equally mesmerizing as his well meaning but slightly confused father, but his performance is so engrossing that we quickly grow to love this mans presence and he is the kind of person you would have to hang out with. A Linklater regular, Hawke succeeds in delivering the goods and we quickly forgive any misgivings this character may bring. Patricia Arquette is also suitably excellent as Olivia and although we have not seen her regularly onscreen recently- this wonderful impassioned performance more than makes up for lost time.
Boyhood was a big gamble for Linklater to undertake, but the end result has been his finest and most mature movie of his career. This movie will serve as one of the finest and most moving of the year and we will make us think over the moments of our childhood far more carefully- because the moments we hate the most are always the ones that can shape us!
Closer to the Edge 