Boyhood has arrived with universally rave reviews and a unique premise. The writer / director, Richard Linklater, tells the story of a boy’s life from the age of 5 to 18. He’s done that by filming an approximately 15 minute sequence each year for 12 years. You could argue that similar ground has been covered by the & Up documentary series, Linklater’s own Before trilogy or even (at a push) the Harry Potter films but this feels like a much more ambitious and interesting project.
To pull it off, Linklater needed some luck. None of the actors playing the recurring characters died or became unavailable for any other reason. Additionally the casting of Ellar Coltrane as the boy, Mason, at the age of just 7 was an inspired choice as he turned out to be a terrific actor. Admittedly, Lorelei Linklater (the director’s daughter) as his sister, Samantha isn’t quite as impressive. She tried to opt out of the film after a few years, and it shows, but her Dad persuaded her to carry on. However, Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke as their estranged parents are outstanding. Hawke’s character’s change – in many ways he grows up just as much as the kids – feels more convincing with the way that the film was shot.
It astutely portrays the movement of time without using any screen captions with dates. Instead we see hairstyles change, kids get older and, more subtly, technology changes to denote the smooth transition of time. I found myself totally invested in Mason’s story, thanks not only to Colfer’s stunning performance, but also to the insightful realistic script. The outstanding scenes are mostly of Mason and his Dad, depicting how their relationship develops over the years. Arquette also has one magnificent scene towards the end of the film when she laments the passing of time in a way that will strike a chord with the more mature film goer.
Linklater has touched on greatness before with Dazed and Confused in 1993, but this extraordinary film is his masterpiece.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10