There’s not much I can say about Boyhood that hasn’t already been said ad nauseum. “It’s a modern masterpiece;” “A new American classic;” “One of the greatest films of the 21st century;” and so on and so forth. As I compose this review, it has a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and a metascore of 100 on Metacritic. Just to put that metascore into perspective, only 11 films have a perfect 100 on Metacritic.com. That list includes The Godfather, Lawrence of Arabia and The Wizard of Oz. Currently, the only other modern film to achieve this high honor is the 2013 documentary Best Kept Secret. Even then, it only has 4 reviews, the bare minimum to qualify for a metascore, as opposed to Boyhood’s 47.
There’s a danger that comes with any film that receives such overwhelming, near unanimous high acclaim. Naturally, any universally praised anything will merit either a ‘hop-on-the-bandwagon’ critical mentality, chock-full-o’ overused hyperboles, or an enormous backlash from those noble few who just ‘don’t get it.’ You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
(Indiewire recently released an intriguing article about the topic, which you can read here: http://blogs.indiewire.com/criticwire/why-the-unanimous-praise-for-boyhood-is-bad-for-film-criticism-and-for-boyhood-20140804)
Now, those of you who know me (And I’m assuming that’s the majority of my audience) are well aware that I have a particular bias in favor of Richard Linklater. My favorite films of all time are Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight. I’m not so blind in my adoration of the director to not admit that his filmography has its weaknesses (Unlike a large number of people I know, I am not the hugest fan of Slacker or Dazed & Confused and his remake of Bad News Bears is just plain atrocious), but when he’s on point, he’s really on point.
Linklater’s masterpiece, the Before Sunrise trilogy, works so well because it is such an honest, straightforward and accurate portrayal of love and relationships. I’d go so far as to argue that it’s the defining cinematic statement on the subjects. (And I’m sure this is a verbatim quote from my review of Before Midnight, though I’m too lazy to check) They transcend average cinema to achieve a kind of pseudo-realism. Part of this is due to Linklater’s laidback writing/directing approach and his tendency towards accurately portraying life as it really is, including all its ups and downs with no sugar coating. Another key factor in the success of this trilogy is due to the amazing performances of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in the lead roles. Their performances are 100% natural (I sound like a health ad), striking not a single false note. I adore this kind of storytelling and am an enormous admirer of anyone who can strike the delicate balance of portraying life as it really is without coming across as boring, mundane or pretentious. Come to think of it, I don’t think there are any others out there that have accomplished something on this level when it comes to this kind of cinematic storytelling. This is no easy feat and in this era of modern filmmaking it is something to be applauded.
So now that you understand my bias (Or have been refreshed on its nature), I hope you’ll appreciate my review all the more when I admit that the first time I saw Boyhood, I wasn’t entirely bowled over. Seriously, if you had asked me right after the movie (As many of you did), my response was a kind of glazed-over, “I don’t know. I think I need to see it again.” I’d been following its progress ever since I fell in love with Before Sunrise and Before Sunset back in 2007 and the enormous praise Boyhood was receiving only served to pique/overwhelm my interest and excitement. I knew I liked it, but I wasn’t sure to what extent I liked it.
Truth be told, it was difficult to connect to Boyhood the first time around. I wanted to see more of my own life on screen. There were so many elements I could relate to: the divorced parents; the love of Harry Potter, the Beatles and Wilco; the desire to turn off social media and have real-life human connections with people. But, overall, I felt that the film held me at arm’s length emotionally. I felt like more of an observer than anything else and I wanted to connect with Mason more. I wanted to see more ME on the screen. That and I wanted to see events I felt were significant in my own life portrayed on screen.
Upon reflecting on my initial reaction, I realized how selfish I was being. Boyhood isn’t supposed to be about me or anyone in particular except for the character whose life it is chronicling. Boyhood helped remind me that the beauty of being alive and relating to one another is that no two people are alike. Even though our experiences may be similar, we all perceive things in different ways. Looking at it in this light, I felt a bit embarrassed about my attitude following the first viewing. Thankfully, I got to see it again the week after with my dad and aunt and it was that second viewing that really sealed the deal for me.
So, enough about me. How ‘bout we get to that there review, eh?
Linklater avoids many of the staple events of growing up: the first kiss, broken arms, homecomings, proms, major holidays, etc. This was initially disappointing for me as a viewer until I realized how overdone and clichéd these events had become in terms of cinematic portrayals. Linklater isn’t interested in these huge moments. He cares more about the little things – the things that, upon first glance, seem mundane and ordinary, but are really, truly, the things that make us who we are.
He is aided by an amazing ensemble, which includes Patricia Arquette as Mason’s mother Olivia, Ethan Hawke as his father Mason Sr. and Linklater’s own daughter Lorelei as Mason’s sister Samantha. Arquette and Hawke’s performances are marvelous, easily ranking amongst the best of their careers. Lorelei is funny and adorably obnoxious as the big sister.
Of course, the star of the show is Ellar Coltrane as Mason. Watching his character come into his own is one of the most unique, moving experiences I’ve ever had at a movie. That Coltrane managed to carry this character from the age of six to eighteen and give such an authentic and fascinating performance is nothing short of an enormous achievement. As great as the supporting cast is (And really, they are superb), the film truly belongs to Coltrane and he should be applauded for his portrayal.
The narrative unfolds naturally, sporting no title cards to inform the audience of when we’ve moved forward in time. You’ll get little hints here and there from the soundtrack (one of the year’s best), the technology and Mason’s ever-evolving haircuts. By the end, you feel like a part of the family and if there’s anything to complain about, it’s that it all goes by so fast. Even after my first viewing, I would have been willing to sit through an additional hour just to spend more time with these people and to watch Mason continue to grow as a person. Alas, just like adolescence itself, all things must come to an end. But when it comes to an end as simple and perfect as Boyhood’s, it’s difficult to be disappointed.
Boyhood does a really special thing by acknowledging and reminding us of the struggles we all face on a daily basis, even if they might not seem significant at the time. It’s not overtly melodramatic and it doesn’t resort to the kinds of ‘meaningful’ moments we’re used to seeing in these kinds of films. It simply reminds us of the beauty of everyday life, of the importance of family and being there for one another. I still give the upper hand to the Before Sunrise trilogy, but there’s no doubt that Boyhood is a monumental achievement and it is well worth your time.
Like it, love it, gotta have it or just plain 'don't get it,' but experience it for yourself. See it and draw your own conclusions. There’s really nothing quite like it...except life itself.
FINAL RATING: 5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment