Boyhood | Movie Review

Boyhood is directed by Richard Linklater and was filmed in sections, every year, for 12 years. They also use the same actors. It stars Ellar Coltrane as the main character, Mason. This movie just chronicles his life between the ages of 5 and 18. It also stars Patricia Arquette as his mother, Lorelei Linklater as his sister and Ethan Hawke as his father.

This movie has a pretty simple premise. The fact that it is filmed over 12 years using the same actors will go down in history. This technique enhances the film and I was just mesmerised by the performances of particularly Ellar Coltrane and Lorelei Linklater as they truly jump into these roles and make it their own. You believe that these actors really are these characters.

Ethan Hawke was also amazing. I was quite stunned when I saw him at the beginning of the film. He looked so much younger and it was a nice surprise. Patricia Arquette was fantastic at the beginning but was a little wooden towards the end of the film.

The fact that this movie is just a series of scenes about a boy's life and that it could be so enthralling and just so intense to watch. However, there are some flaws I have with this movie. Yes, there are a bunch of nitpicks that I won't mention. I will say however, that the third act of the movie started to drop in quality. Mainly, Ellar Coltrane's character became less relatable, Patricia Arquette didn't seem to care and it was kind of generic. It wasn't terrible, but there were noticeable flaws in comparison.

Overall I feel that there is only one way to explain my rating

Act 1: A+

Act 2: A+
Act 3: B+

The first 2 acts were so captivating I have to give this film

A

I'm Jonathan and this is Movies for the People