BOYHOOD (2014)

On 27th of October the four classes of 2n of Batxillerat went to Sitges to watch a film in English. Here is my review:

Cast: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater, Jordan Howard, Tamara Jolaine, Zoe Graham, Tyler Strother, Evie Thompson, Tess Allen, Megan Devine, Fernando Lara, Elijah Smith, Steven Chester Prince, Bonnie Cross, Libby Villari, Marco Perella, Jamie Howard, Andrew Villarreal, Shane Graham, Ryan Power

Director and writer: Richard Linklater

Boyhood is a movie that was released in July 2014. Richard Linklater created a dramatic film with the remarkable fact that it took 12 years to be completely filmed. One thing you have to count on before watching the film is time. 156 minutes are not easy to watch, and sometimes it felt quite uncomfortable be sitting in the seat watching an everyday life of a child and I occasionally got distracted.

The film shows the audience the life of a boy called Mason Jr. since he is 5 years old to his first day at college. Mason Jr. is not a special kid. He likes riding his bike and playing videogames, and he often argues with his older sister. He is the son of divorced parents, Olivia and Mason. The parents married too young, she got pregnant and they broke up. Olivia had to raise her kids as a single mother while Mason wanted to pursue his musical career, and he only showed up from time to time in his cool car.  

One thing that I find essential is that events are always shown from the perspective of the kids, especially Mason Jr. However, we don’t always know what he is feeling or thinking in the moment, which gives the opportunity to the viewer to imagine and emphasize, each person in their own way, the situations he has to live through the entire movie.

I also find it appealing that the director displays us that life is terrifyingly short. While we are living our childhood, we think we have all the time in the world. Mason’s only worries were friends, school and trying to make sense of why his mother was living with abusive men. But what seems to be not much later, he already has to choose a college. As opposed, for parents’ time goes by as a flash and they suddenly realize that their children are growing and moving away.

In summary, I would recommend this film because it is unlike any film I have seen before and I found it very interesting. Nevertheless, some more editing to make the film shorter would have been a point to appreciate.