Boyhood (2014)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Boyhood (2014) – R. Linklater

As a piece of high concept art, Richard Linklater’s film is endlessly fascinating:  filmed over 12 years with actors who (by necessity) age across the length of the film.  This provides a definite counterpoint to the usual technique of using different actors to play the same character at different ages – which was never ever believable.  Here, central character Mason (Jr.) ages from 7 to 19, as does actor Ellar Coltrane (who turns out to be pretty solid all the way through, getting more to do as he gets older).  Rather than use this set-up to make something experimental or post-modern, Linklater takes a more or less traditional approach to narrative, following Mason and his family (mother Patricia Arquette, father Ethan Hawke, and sister Lorelei Linklater, the director’s daughter), as they age across 12 years (the film’s working title). As I’m the father of two boys myself, the early focus on parenting resonated with me (although Arquette’s role as a single mom is impossibly harder) and as the kids aged, I felt a distinct sense of anxiety whenever threats were near.  I’ll look forward to this in real life.  The film is sometimes advertised as a nostalgic look at the recent past, featuring music and cultural reference points from 2002 to 2013, but for me it was the common (possibly American) experiences of childhood that were the highlights.  These kids go through some tough times but end up OK. In fact, Mason Jr. ends up pretty cool (influenced by his probably too cool to be true parents).  The script, written by Linklater, tries hard but offers some clunky moments or lines.  As with the Before Sunrise trilogy, you’ve got to suspend your disbelief sometimes to accept that anyone would ever say some of these things – but the feelings behind these lines often still ring true.  A really neat accomplishment.