boyhood

BoyhoodRichard Linklater’s labour of love. Before I begin hats off to the director’s vision. It is not very often that you get see the characters actually grow up on screen.  It’s surreal and mystifying. Boyhood takes it’s own sweet time to grow on you. It unfolds gradually like a series of brilliant montage shots.

There are moments in the film where you feel “it happened to me too” and that’s where the movie strikes a chord with the audience.  As the little boy grows into a mature person the world around him keeps changing, his parents grow further apart, the years fly by even as he begins to discover what lies within him.

The Mom who gives her all for the family despite the chaos in her own life, the sweet sibling rivalry, the dad whom the kids yearn for. We have all come across similar personalities in our daily life. Richard wonderfully fits his 12 year old dream in a simple canvas that everybody can relate to.  No complexities or melodrama just everyday happenings of an ordinary middle class family.

Patricia is brilliant as struggling single mom a role which earned her a deserving Oscar. Ethan Hawke and Lorelei Linkater shine in admirable supporting roles. The real standout performance though comes from Ellar Coltrane as his life is peeled off layer by layer right in front of our eyes. We see him grow, we see him yearn and we see him re-define. 

In this big bad world our lives move at such a rapid pace. We fail to press the pause button and slow down. Boyhood is a gentle reminder to look back at the moments that defined our very existence

Richard Linklater – I bow to thy vision and perseverance.

Boyhood – A rare gem.

My Rating – 5/5