BOYHOOD (2015)

Genre: Drama
Running Length: 2:45
Cast: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Elijah Smith, Lorelei Linklater
Director: Richard Linklater 
Screenplay: Richard Linklater

"There are no grown-ups. We suspect this when we are younger...Everyone is winging it, some just do it more confidently." Pamela Druckerman

BOYHOOD was a deeply moving experience for me. When so many movies today are about nothing at all, this one is about real life itself. There's no melodrama as both adults and children are trying to figure out life. Is there more to life than getting through a series of milestones - going to school, getting a job, getting married, having kids, sending them off to further studies and finally die? Like one of the main adult cast remarked, "I just thought that there would be more."

In an era of immediate gratification, Boyhood is a game changer as it was filmed over a 12 year span with the same cast. So we literally see our main star growing up from a 6 year old boy to a young man right before our eyes. (This movie recalls Linklater's "Before" trilogy where we follow two lovers over an 18-year span, catching up with them at nine year intervals across three films). As a result, there's a documentary aspect of it as the filmmakers allow the natural aging process of its actors to organically enhance the portrayals of their characters. I initially thought this was a little gimmicky as it may distract the viewers from the story but thankfully, this coming-of-age screenplay is exceptionally well crafted. The characters in this film and the conversations they have are so easy to relate to. They could be people you know; family members, relatives, friends and even you. Linklater is a master in capturing the simplest story of everyday living; from the choice of clothes, dialogue, music used, backdrop, action and reaction. So much so when an adult loses their temper and smashes a few things in the house, I can imagine viewers who had similar experiences at home during their childhood will be shaken. It's that realistic.

The acting is overall solid. Our main "boy" star has a simple laid-back persona with a natural screen presence and throughout the movie, we can empathize and understand why he was shaped this way. The real standout here is Patricia Arquette's character, as with most moms today in urban cities, she's the one who has to take care of everything as she raised her kids as a single parent.

Because of the dedication and effort involved from the filmmakers, viewers would definitely feel something deeply after having gotten to know a family intimately (with warts and all) in a way most movies today are not capable of achieving.

Rating: 10/10