Boyhood

Melanie and I saw the movie “Boyhood” tonight written and directed by Richard Linklater, a fascinating movie shot over an eleven-year period as its lead grows up. Seven when the movie opens, the actor Ellar Coltrane is 17 or 18 at the end of the movie and it's fascinating to see.

I like this one. I like slice-of-life movies anyway which this definitely is, movies that lack the artificiality of manufactured story lines and conflicts and dramas that need to be cleverly resolved. Real life is adventurous enough on its own if you know how to depict it. And though not a documentary, "Boyhood" has that feel about it because you watch the entire cast age in real-time before your eyes.

Would the movie work without the gimmick? Would it work if shot over a two month period with different actors playing the kids at different ages? Yes, though having actors age over a twelve year period is a real tour-de-force that would be missed.

Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette play the mother and father and we watch them age with the rest of the cast. I applaud them both for committing to such a long project. And the acting is refreshing, natural, and honest throughout. I don’t know if Ellar Coltrane will continue pursuing acting - how determined was he to be an actor when he was cast at the age of seven? - but he’s a likable presence if a bit flat as he ages in the way of many self-conscious teenagers.

All around an enjoyable, tender movie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyhood_(film)