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Before he directed the God of Thunder and Hitler, Taika Waititi made a little film in his native country of New Zealand. It's a small indie film about a boy and his admiration for his father, which ends up being misplaced admiration because his father is a POS.
This coming of age film is full of laughs and heartfelt joy as our lead character, Boy, tries desperately to get some loving attention from his father, who just so happens to be recently out of jail. If Boy were to describe it to his friend, his father broke out and killed multiple guards with nothing but a spoon. Of course these are tall tales the kid tells people to impress them and when his father does show up, he falls short of being a loving parent. Why does the father show up? Does he want to try his hand at being a dad again? Or does he have ulterior motives? While the answer is pretty clear early on, Boy is blinded by his admiration for the man to see the truth. He's willing to put friendships on the line for the sake of his father.
Boy lives with his younger brother and a few cousins. They are being raised by their grandmother since his mother died during childbirth of his younger sibling. There are plenty of depressingly dramatic moments scattered throughout this film, which Waititi would employ later on in films like JoJo Rabbit to varying degrees of success. With Boy, there is a clear sense of an understanding on the subject matter and a distinct visual eye that would flourish in his later films.
Boy is a fun film that balances the realities of broken homes, failed parents and growing up all in one neat little package.
Boy
"I don't remember you! You weren't there! You weren't there when he was born! You weren't there when she died! Where were you?"
"I don't remember you! You weren't there! You weren't there when he was born! You weren't there when she died! Where were you?"
Before he directed the God of Thunder and Hitler, Taika Waititi made a little film in his native country of New Zealand. It's a small indie film about a boy and his admiration for his father, which ends up being misplaced admiration because his father is a POS.
This coming of age film is full of laughs and heartfelt joy as our lead character, Boy, tries desperately to get some loving attention from his father, who just so happens to be recently out of jail. If Boy were to describe it to his friend, his father broke out and killed multiple guards with nothing but a spoon. Of course these are tall tales the kid tells people to impress them and when his father does show up, he falls short of being a loving parent. Why does the father show up? Does he want to try his hand at being a dad again? Or does he have ulterior motives? While the answer is pretty clear early on, Boy is blinded by his admiration for the man to see the truth. He's willing to put friendships on the line for the sake of his father.
Boy lives with his younger brother and a few cousins. They are being raised by their grandmother since his mother died during childbirth of his younger sibling. There are plenty of depressingly dramatic moments scattered throughout this film, which Waititi would employ later on in films like JoJo Rabbit to varying degrees of success. With Boy, there is a clear sense of an understanding on the subject matter and a distinct visual eye that would flourish in his later films.
Boy is a fun film that balances the realities of broken homes, failed parents and growing up all in one neat little package.