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Capture the moment...
Director Richard Linklater has managed to keep his patience-level extraordinarily low during more than 12 years of complicated and dedicated film production. By using tremendous patience and above all a targeted vision Linklater has composed a drama, which in remarkable manner surpasses former ultra-ambitious projects from his respected filmography; films such as the beloved ‘Before’ trilogy, the far-from-lazy 'Slacker' and the crazy unique mind-trip 'Waking Life'.
All of Linklater’s films are often an impressive medley of thoughtful discussions, authentic life images and unpolished moments of the world we live in. The film 'Boyhood' is certainly no exception, and it almost seems as if these elements are allowed to play out even more freely and naturally than previously seen. ‘Boyhood’ is an absolute dream project for someone like Richard Linklater.
The Story
The film follows the six-year-old boy Mason (Ellar Coltrane) and his rough upbringing from a messy childhood to independent adulthood, a period that extends across twelve years. Along the way, life itself vicissitudes drastically around him with several father figures, and a biological father (Ethan Hawke), who’s never really been a consistent part of Mason’s and his sister's life. But as Mason grows up he develops a certain control of the old problems, establishes new acquaintances, and above all, forms his very own life experiences. All this takes place by means of periodic moments in Masons life, which helps the audience to understand his journey and understand his personality. 'Boyhood' is a magnanimous life journey on film, but is it equally successful in its execution as it is impressive in its engineering?
There is absolutely no doubt that expectations around this expansive and daring film project was soaring even before the premiere of the film. Due to the slightly unusual approach where the story of the film is told in real-time in a period over 12 years, it is not difficult to imagine the curiosity arising solely out of this element. Therefore it’s not really a necessity to be a solidarity fan of Richard Linklater or of the dramaturgical genre to feel just a little little bit interested. Surprisingly enough, all this overwhelming publicity and the relevant unfulfilled expectations unfortunately suffered as a barricade for the overall success of the film with the mainstream audience. People will understandably be curious about what might be hiding behind this immensely positive reception that ‘Boyhood’ has received from critics all around the globe, and of course, if the film will answer the big mysterious question of the day: was 12 long years really that necessary?
Despite all these expectations and the film's sky high level of ambition it's basically a perplexingly small and intimate film, with a story that is quite far from what the publicity might seem to tell you. 'Boyhood' is not an attempt to be a tension filled and intense drama about a boy's complicated upbringing, but rather a film that tries to capture life's realistic and most precious moments all the way from child to adult. The film is about moments in life, not necessarily periods, and there are no annoying writings that pop up on the cinema screen along the way, to provide information about where we are in time – because that is completely irrelevant – as an audience we should feel the moments, not be informed about them. This film is consequently not just simple pretentious and pitiful nonsense with "style over substance", even though some might be tempted to believe just that. The style here is to strengthen the substance of the story, not overshadow it.
For a film with such a youthful title as 'Boyhood' it’s a surprisingly mature expansion of Richard Linklater's wide talents in story telling, which appear smarter and more sophisticated here, respectively, than in previous works – a great and astonishing pleasure to attend! The film is even maintained on a natural and comfortable level throughout, and despite the 165 minutes of playing time, the film is never boring since there’s always a constant evolution in time, with the characters, and in the outside world. And because of that it’s not an obligation to have been a boy to be able to relate or enjoy the film's undeniable qualities. The focus of the film is as much on what happens around Mason, such as the evolving technology, culture and politics.
The film's true midpoint in all this is, however, still the main character’s life and upbringing and there are both dark and light periods to discover in Mason's life. Usually it’s the actual story of a film that provides the thread of coherence from start to finish, but in this case it is a person, in which ‘Boyhood’ succeeds exceedingly well. One can say that there are a few well-known clichés to find; such as the father who comes and goes, the mother undergoing numerous divorces and relationships, and bullying by school pupils as well as by the strenuous siblings at home. But then one might also conclude that all this has become clichés for a reason? It's something a wider audience will understand and relate to themselves, and counting 12 years of dealing with adolescence and adulthood boiled down to a running time of 165 “short” minutes, we can assume that it’s hardly unknown and incomprehensible situations we wish to be portrayed in this film?
So please do overwhelm us with the honest childhood and what we remember most from the time period of the film. Fill us with the wizarding literature recitation in the pleasing company of Harry Potter, the old nostalgic video games and consoles, earlier versions of well-known computer brands and other gadgets and the joy of the time when technology wasn’t as dominant – and that's exactly what director Richard Linklater does so astoundingly well. 'Boyhood' is a film consisting of periods, experiences, moments, life, development, maturity, and more. If only one is engaged enough then you will also become interested enough in the character's life as time passes by. You feel with them, and you understand them. Linklater almost has the power to make his audience feel like some sort of a passive parent, who sit securely and a tad restless in the cinema seats, while their cinematic adoptive son is being sent out into the big world... And it has to be said, that is something that requires great humanistic understanding and especially great talent.
The Acting
Back in 2002 when Linklater launched his major life project there was a need for a bit more than just his own faithful dedication. He needed people, both in front of and behind the camera, to go with him on this long journey. A functioning film crew with technical standards is a necessity but what if one chooses to leave the project? Yes, then that person can easily be replaced by someone else without any major problems. This, in turn, is virtually impossible with the main characters in the film. They simply need to be one-hundred percent dedicated to the project's 12-year duration if the end result is to function.
So it was quite a task when fetching actors to the project – especially for the role of the boy Mason. And when the full cast finally was found you could only hope that nobody turned around and left mid-way during the production. Especially the youngest actors must have been a challenge since you would have to gamble heavily on the fact that they wouldn’t grow up and become terrible actors. But Linklater has thankfully had the right amount of professionalism and luck to actually end up with a project that just shines so beautifully when finally witnessed in its finished form.
All the acting performances are very aesthetic and realistic across the board and especially Ethan Hawke does a sublime job in the role of Mason's biological father. In between, some of the children achievements seem a bit debatable and the level of standard can change from scene to scene, though it is often satisfactory. Richard Linklater's own daughter, Lorelei, may not be the next big female breakthrough in the film industry, but this specific selection did make the burden a little lighter and the process more straightforward for the hard-working director.
The Technical Aspect
Certainly one of the most fundamental elements of a film of this calibre is based on the visual and editing aspect. It is important to have a natural approach to every scene, and the camera must be present in the film but without being a distracting factor. Furthermore the technical aspect mustn’t feel like a pointless provision of moments but as a part of them. The atmosphere must be caught when it’s there and not least in the right way.
With 'Boyhood' all these mentioned factors are certainly not absent. There has clearly been thought about every single element throughout, especially in regard to the editing which liquidly moves its focus from one periodic milestone to another. The transitions are a mixture of perfect image composition and editing, which contribute to the natural shift from past to future. As an audience you’re quickly and easily becoming immersed into the story and you’ll rarely notice the longstanding gaps that occur between scenes.
Life periods in the film rarely feel forced or misplaced but just as forthright and authentic as is the case in real life. Richard Linklater has said that the film somehow acts as a "time-lapse photography of a human being" which describes the film and its purpose extremely precise. A worthy presentation of the film and its technology will be virtually impossible, and I would argue that the following quote from the film describes it in the best possible way: "Any dipshit can take pictures. But it takes a real genius to make art."
The Soundscape
Just as with the visual side of the film the soundscape is just as beautiful and charismatically rounded every time we come to a different moment in Mason’s life and is yet again in the need of creating a new and appropriate atmosphere. The music is certainly not constantly present in the film but the timing is carefully chosen and tones are never pushed involuntarily into frame. But when the music is finally there it’s in a way that ensures a full atmospheric blast and provides for the complete ambiance of the film.
There’re also some scenes with on-screen music, which are there to lift and further confirm the natural approach taken to this particular story. Especially because Mason's father is a little musically involved himself, and because of that it works great, and it's a smart way to ensure plenty of rhythmic tones in the film without it ever appearing as a false method to seduce the audience. That’s another well-deserved thumbs-up for Richard Linklater and his phenomenal 'Boyhood'!
SHORT SUMMARY Richard Linklater has planted twelve fruitful trees and let them take root in life’s most treasured moments. He has maintained his focus throughout the process and ultimately once again proves his worth as an innovative master of the art of film. If even possible, this is the director's largest and most far-ranging project yet, and quite possible his most intimate and complete film to date. A masterpiece that is completely its own and which I hope will be seen and loved again 12 years from now. A film about the passage of time deserves to be taken up again as time passes by, and 'Boyhood' is certainly no exception...
overall rating:
Movie Review: Boyhood (2014)
Capture the moment...
Director Richard Linklater has managed to keep his patience-level extraordinarily low during more than 12 years of complicated and dedicated film production. By using tremendous patience and above all a targeted vision Linklater has composed a drama, which in remarkable manner surpasses former ultra-ambitious projects from his respected filmography; films such as the beloved ‘Before’ trilogy, the far-from-lazy 'Slacker' and the crazy unique mind-trip 'Waking Life'.
All of Linklater’s films are often an impressive medley of thoughtful discussions, authentic life images and unpolished moments of the world we live in. The film 'Boyhood' is certainly no exception, and it almost seems as if these elements are allowed to play out even more freely and naturally than previously seen. ‘Boyhood’ is an absolute dream project for someone like Richard Linklater.
The Story
The film follows the six-year-old boy Mason (Ellar Coltrane) and his rough upbringing from a messy childhood to independent adulthood, a period that extends across twelve years. Along the way, life itself vicissitudes drastically around him with several father figures, and a biological father (Ethan Hawke), who’s never really been a consistent part of Mason’s and his sister's life. But as Mason grows up he develops a certain control of the old problems, establishes new acquaintances, and above all, forms his very own life experiences. All this takes place by means of periodic moments in Masons life, which helps the audience to understand his journey and understand his personality. 'Boyhood' is a magnanimous life journey on film, but is it equally successful in its execution as it is impressive in its engineering?
There is absolutely no doubt that expectations around this expansive and daring film project was soaring even before the premiere of the film. Due to the slightly unusual approach where the story of the film is told in real-time in a period over 12 years, it is not difficult to imagine the curiosity arising solely out of this element. Therefore it’s not really a necessity to be a solidarity fan of Richard Linklater or of the dramaturgical genre to feel just a little little bit interested. Surprisingly enough, all this overwhelming publicity and the relevant unfulfilled expectations unfortunately suffered as a barricade for the overall success of the film with the mainstream audience. People will understandably be curious about what might be hiding behind this immensely positive reception that ‘Boyhood’ has received from critics all around the globe, and of course, if the film will answer the big mysterious question of the day: was 12 long years really that necessary?
Despite all these expectations and the film's sky high level of ambition it's basically a perplexingly small and intimate film, with a story that is quite far from what the publicity might seem to tell you. 'Boyhood' is not an attempt to be a tension filled and intense drama about a boy's complicated upbringing, but rather a film that tries to capture life's realistic and most precious moments all the way from child to adult. The film is about moments in life, not necessarily periods, and there are no annoying writings that pop up on the cinema screen along the way, to provide information about where we are in time – because that is completely irrelevant – as an audience we should feel the moments, not be informed about them. This film is consequently not just simple pretentious and pitiful nonsense with "style over substance", even though some might be tempted to believe just that. The style here is to strengthen the substance of the story, not overshadow it.
For a film with such a youthful title as 'Boyhood' it’s a surprisingly mature expansion of Richard Linklater's wide talents in story telling, which appear smarter and more sophisticated here, respectively, than in previous works – a great and astonishing pleasure to attend! The film is even maintained on a natural and comfortable level throughout, and despite the 165 minutes of playing time, the film is never boring since there’s always a constant evolution in time, with the characters, and in the outside world. And because of that it’s not an obligation to have been a boy to be able to relate or enjoy the film's undeniable qualities. The focus of the film is as much on what happens around Mason, such as the evolving technology, culture and politics.
The film's true midpoint in all this is, however, still the main character’s life and upbringing and there are both dark and light periods to discover in Mason's life. Usually it’s the actual story of a film that provides the thread of coherence from start to finish, but in this case it is a person, in which ‘Boyhood’ succeeds exceedingly well. One can say that there are a few well-known clichés to find; such as the father who comes and goes, the mother undergoing numerous divorces and relationships, and bullying by school pupils as well as by the strenuous siblings at home. But then one might also conclude that all this has become clichés for a reason? It's something a wider audience will understand and relate to themselves, and counting 12 years of dealing with adolescence and adulthood boiled down to a running time of 165 “short” minutes, we can assume that it’s hardly unknown and incomprehensible situations we wish to be portrayed in this film?
So please do overwhelm us with the honest childhood and what we remember most from the time period of the film. Fill us with the wizarding literature recitation in the pleasing company of Harry Potter, the old nostalgic video games and consoles, earlier versions of well-known computer brands and other gadgets and the joy of the time when technology wasn’t as dominant – and that's exactly what director Richard Linklater does so astoundingly well. 'Boyhood' is a film consisting of periods, experiences, moments, life, development, maturity, and more. If only one is engaged enough then you will also become interested enough in the character's life as time passes by. You feel with them, and you understand them. Linklater almost has the power to make his audience feel like some sort of a passive parent, who sit securely and a tad restless in the cinema seats, while their cinematic adoptive son is being sent out into the big world... And it has to be said, that is something that requires great humanistic understanding and especially great talent.
The Acting
Back in 2002 when Linklater launched his major life project there was a need for a bit more than just his own faithful dedication. He needed people, both in front of and behind the camera, to go with him on this long journey. A functioning film crew with technical standards is a necessity but what if one chooses to leave the project? Yes, then that person can easily be replaced by someone else without any major problems. This, in turn, is virtually impossible with the main characters in the film. They simply need to be one-hundred percent dedicated to the project's 12-year duration if the end result is to function.
So it was quite a task when fetching actors to the project – especially for the role of the boy Mason. And when the full cast finally was found you could only hope that nobody turned around and left mid-way during the production. Especially the youngest actors must have been a challenge since you would have to gamble heavily on the fact that they wouldn’t grow up and become terrible actors. But Linklater has thankfully had the right amount of professionalism and luck to actually end up with a project that just shines so beautifully when finally witnessed in its finished form.
All the acting performances are very aesthetic and realistic across the board and especially Ethan Hawke does a sublime job in the role of Mason's biological father. In between, some of the children achievements seem a bit debatable and the level of standard can change from scene to scene, though it is often satisfactory. Richard Linklater's own daughter, Lorelei, may not be the next big female breakthrough in the film industry, but this specific selection did make the burden a little lighter and the process more straightforward for the hard-working director.
The Technical Aspect
Certainly one of the most fundamental elements of a film of this calibre is based on the visual and editing aspect. It is important to have a natural approach to every scene, and the camera must be present in the film but without being a distracting factor. Furthermore the technical aspect mustn’t feel like a pointless provision of moments but as a part of them. The atmosphere must be caught when it’s there and not least in the right way.
With 'Boyhood' all these mentioned factors are certainly not absent. There has clearly been thought about every single element throughout, especially in regard to the editing which liquidly moves its focus from one periodic milestone to another. The transitions are a mixture of perfect image composition and editing, which contribute to the natural shift from past to future. As an audience you’re quickly and easily becoming immersed into the story and you’ll rarely notice the longstanding gaps that occur between scenes.
Life periods in the film rarely feel forced or misplaced but just as forthright and authentic as is the case in real life. Richard Linklater has said that the film somehow acts as a "time-lapse photography of a human being" which describes the film and its purpose extremely precise. A worthy presentation of the film and its technology will be virtually impossible, and I would argue that the following quote from the film describes it in the best possible way: "Any dipshit can take pictures. But it takes a real genius to make art."
The Soundscape
Just as with the visual side of the film the soundscape is just as beautiful and charismatically rounded every time we come to a different moment in Mason’s life and is yet again in the need of creating a new and appropriate atmosphere. The music is certainly not constantly present in the film but the timing is carefully chosen and tones are never pushed involuntarily into frame. But when the music is finally there it’s in a way that ensures a full atmospheric blast and provides for the complete ambiance of the film.
There’re also some scenes with on-screen music, which are there to lift and further confirm the natural approach taken to this particular story. Especially because Mason's father is a little musically involved himself, and because of that it works great, and it's a smart way to ensure plenty of rhythmic tones in the film without it ever appearing as a false method to seduce the audience. That’s another well-deserved thumbs-up for Richard Linklater and his phenomenal 'Boyhood'!
SHORT SUMMARY Richard Linklater has planted twelve fruitful trees and let them take root in life’s most treasured moments. He has maintained his focus throughout the process and ultimately once again proves his worth as an innovative master of the art of film. If even possible, this is the director's largest and most far-ranging project yet, and quite possible his most intimate and complete film to date. A masterpiece that is completely its own and which I hope will be seen and loved again 12 years from now. A film about the passage of time deserves to be taken up again as time passes by, and 'Boyhood' is certainly no exception...
overall rating: