Is there a more ambitious or unforgettable film as Richard Linklater's Boyhood this year? I think not.
Having generated enthusiastic hype and unanimous critical acclaim, it's easy to want to abstain from it and be pessimistic about this film, but why shouldn't it be subject to the critical acclaim that is has generated? It's true that, had the film not been shot over a 12 year period, it probably wouldn't have generated the amount of buzz it did; however, the film is still a great film and it still would have obtained the amount of critical praise that it has– the whole 12 year shooting aspect just makes it all the more a special and enchanting movie going experience (one of the most enchanting I've ever had).
I don't imagine I can add to (or say) anything about the film that hasn't already been said about it before, but I will tell you how (when I saw this in theaters) about mid-way through I just started to cry (at a completely non-dramatic part, mind you), because I was so captivated by, not only the experience of watching these endearing characters mature, but by how the film was making me reflect back to my own boyhood and the small moments in life that are special (my favorite being the early scenes of Mason and his sister). As a side note, I am of the same age and generation of the "boy" in "boyhood" (Ellar Coltrane), so it was nothing short of a cathartic and intriguing walk down memory lane. This film defines a generation of, not only kids, but parents as well. Be it the Generation X product parent who's not quite matured yet, or the parent so preoccupied by their parental role that they become victim to a selfish-disillusionment of marriage and family. Neither of which is portrayed in a patronizing way, but merely as depiction of a part of the maturation process within the life of a child.
The film is somewhat long (160 something minutes I believe), but there's never really a dull moment; for this reason, the film is quick to realize when one storyline is burned out and, like real-life, isn't afraid to quickly change direction while keeping the same overall feel and tone of the characters. By the end, you've completely forgotten that you've watched a fictitious film. Instead, you feel as though you've watched a documentary about the life of a real-life family over the course of 12 years. You forget Ellar Coltrane is playing a character, and you forget that everything on screen came from a script. This is what filmmaking is all about: Attempting to achieve something that others haven't, attempting to embrace that which is embraceable, and achieving a level of enchantment to take you to another world and forget that you're separated from the story by a glass screen.
Boyhood is many things... It's a great film (one of the greatest possibly ever made), it's a film that will stand the test of time, it's a film everybody should experience, and it's (by far) the best film of 2014. Above all, it's a one of kind film- and don't let anyone tell you differently.
Having generated enthusiastic hype and unanimous critical acclaim, it's easy to want to abstain from it and be pessimistic about this film, but why shouldn't it be subject to the critical acclaim that is has generated? It's true that, had the film not been shot over a 12 year period, it probably wouldn't have generated the amount of buzz it did; however, the film is still a great film and it still would have obtained the amount of critical praise that it has– the whole 12 year shooting aspect just makes it all the more a special and enchanting movie going experience (one of the most enchanting I've ever had).
I don't imagine I can add to (or say) anything about the film that hasn't already been said about it before, but I will tell you how (when I saw this in theaters) about mid-way through I just started to cry (at a completely non-dramatic part, mind you), because I was so captivated by, not only the experience of watching these endearing characters mature, but by how the film was making me reflect back to my own boyhood and the small moments in life that are special (my favorite being the early scenes of Mason and his sister). As a side note, I am of the same age and generation of the "boy" in "boyhood" (Ellar Coltrane), so it was nothing short of a cathartic and intriguing walk down memory lane. This film defines a generation of, not only kids, but parents as well. Be it the Generation X product parent who's not quite matured yet, or the parent so preoccupied by their parental role that they become victim to a selfish-disillusionment of marriage and family. Neither of which is portrayed in a patronizing way, but merely as depiction of a part of the maturation process within the life of a child.
The film is somewhat long (160 something minutes I believe), but there's never really a dull moment; for this reason, the film is quick to realize when one storyline is burned out and, like real-life, isn't afraid to quickly change direction while keeping the same overall feel and tone of the characters. By the end, you've completely forgotten that you've watched a fictitious film. Instead, you feel as though you've watched a documentary about the life of a real-life family over the course of 12 years. You forget Ellar Coltrane is playing a character, and you forget that everything on screen came from a script. This is what filmmaking is all about: Attempting to achieve something that others haven't, attempting to embrace that which is embraceable, and achieving a level of enchantment to take you to another world and forget that you're separated from the story by a glass screen.
Boyhood is many things... It's a great film (one of the greatest possibly ever made), it's a film that will stand the test of time, it's a film everybody should experience, and it's (by far) the best film of 2014. Above all, it's a one of kind film- and don't let anyone tell you differently.