Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Boyhood is a unique and groundbreaking film.
It’s a simple enough premise perfectly enscapulated by the title – with writer/director Richard Linklater following the formative years of Mason (Ellar Coltrane) as he quite literally grows before us. It’s a selective narrative as we follow Mason from child to adolescent to teenager in a divided Texan family. Married young, his parents are no longer together. Mom (the impressive Patricia Arquette), now a community college lecturer, has three failed marriages to her name whilst Ethan Hawke, initially something of a drifter, comes good with a second marriage.
Quiet, nuanced, insightful, Boyhood is a cumulative experience that unfolds over 165 minutes as Mason and older sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater) navigate the fractured lives of adults whilst attempting to understand their own world and experiences.
Nominated for 6 Oscars in 2015 including best film, director, actor (Hawke), original screenplay, won 1 for best supporting actress (Patricia Arquette).
Rating: 88%
Director: Richard Linklater (Before Midnight, Last Flag Flying)
Writer: Richard Linklater (Before Midnight, Last Flag Flying)
Main cast: Ellar Coltrane (The Circle, TV’s The Good Lord Bird), Patricia Arquette (Bringing Out the Dead, TV’s Medium), Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Before Midnight)
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