‘Boyhood’ charms its way through life
Print Edition
EARLY in “Boyhood,” Richard Linklater’s bracingly original, utterly enthralling new film about the passage of time through the lens of one boy’s life, the characters are at a real Houston Astros game. And, wouldn’t you know it — the Astros hit a home run.
How lucky, that Linklater was able to incorporate a real-life homer into his scene. But as the film progresses — at its own relaxed, distinctive pace — it’s apparent that virtually every scene is a little home run of its own. And luck has little to do with it.
We already knew that Linklater was an accomplished independent filmmaker, and anyone who’s a fan of his “Before” trilogy — “Before Sunrise,” “Before Sunset” and the recent, wonderful “Before Midnight” — knows how eloquently he can portray the passage of time.
But “Boyhood” is something different entirely. Filmed over 12 years, for a few days each year, the movie follows one family — two parents, two kids — as they navigate love, marriage, divorce, school, work, pain, pleasure and everything else a family can go through.
Yet the story isn’t dramatic — certainly not by the standards of typical Hollywood storytelling. Indeed, its utter simplicity — some might say even banality — is its strength. What happens to this family, and specifically to Mason, the main character, over 12 years? Life. That’s what happens.
While everything about “Boyhood” is done with extraordinary care, the master stroke was clearly the casting, 13 years ago, of a little Texas boy named Ellar Coltrane, with a mop of light brown hair and dreamy eyes. It’s hard to imagine Linklater could have known then that he’d develop into such a soulful adolescent, or such a thoughtful-yet-awkward young man, perfect for the later scenes. But he did.
The film, shot in the disappearing 35mm format, feels like a documentary that occasionally pieces of dialogue sound forced. But that’s rare. Mostly the actors blend seamlessly with Linklater’s naturalistic style.
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