REVIEW: Boyhood

Best Picture Nominee

Original Screenplay Nominee

8/10 - You can film yourself aging while you watch this movie, too!

Boyhood is what I'm calling the clear front runner for this year's Best Picture race. For cinematic innovation it's deserving. Considering how the last decade has gone for movies (badly) it really is a triumph of filmmaking. You will notice however, it's not getting a perfect score because if I'm being honest it's kind of boring and I'll never watch it again.

For those few people unawares, Boyhood is Richard Linklater's latest film. It's a literal coming-of-age drama that follows a young boy, Mason and his family over the years until he departs for college. This is fresh on the heel's of Linklater's successful third installment of his Before series, Before Midnight. The Before series brought audiences into brief moments that were decades apart. Boyhood assembled a film crew for a few scenes every year for 12 years, culminating in a three hour movie concentrate of what childhood looks like. It's almost a polished version of what some of the mumble-core (Ugh I hate that word) movies have tried to accomplish. Drop the viewer into the mundane reality of life, not the elevated fantasy that most films portray.

That leaves my paradox. Watching the cast, namely Ellar Coltrane, literally go through boyhood is the hook. If you were to describe this movie, as I did, you would only talk about that part. But the time between filming is not the point of the movie. There is a real plot. Which isn't about Ellar growing up. Except it sort of is, it's about Mason Jr. growing up. The family goes through a lot of changes. It's about his parents separation, their new relationships, the step children, the ups and downs of puberty. It really is a pseudo documentary that seems to only observe the life of a boy in relevant periods of time, culminating in great personal growth for all the characters and illustrating the struggles and hope in every day life.

I can't quite decide where I land on Boyhood. To some critics, this film is a revelation. And as someone who watches a lot of movies I totally get that. Boyhood breaks the standard movie mold, really pulling on the heartstrings of certain generations (Like those with kids Mason's age or those kids who are Mason's age.) I think many people will leave feeling satisfied with the nostalgic quality of this film. On the other hand there really isn't much of a tangible story to follow and the extremely long three hour time frame is going to turn off many movie goers. This is a film so raw in concept, very humble and endearing, and yet it's inaccessible to so many people. The sentiment I've heard about this movie is "Yeah, I've heard about it. No I'm not going to see it." Which is sort of a shame that this is where we've landed. I'm not going to lie, the lack of "story" is a big turn off for me, too.

Regardless of whether it's an underrated masterpiece, or an overwrought eyeroll, I wish we had more movies like Boyhood. The last few years have made me quite frustrated with the movie scene. There are award dramas that come out at Christmas, Summer action movies, early Spring comedies, and very little innovation. It's all become quite safe. Audiences are being told to anticipate their movie purchases years in advance regardless of whether the film will be any good, and lower budget movies are being swept under the rug. I'm glad that movies like Boyhood and Birdman are doing so well this season. Nothing against Selma or The Imitation Game but they are literally only funded because of the award season cash in. It's nice to see a passion project come to life every once in a while. This is a good passion filled movie. Let it recharge you.

IMDb - Boyhood (8.3)
Wikipedia - Boyhood
Rotten Tomatoes - Boyhood (98%)
Amazon.ca - Boyhood

REVIEW: Before Midnight

Best Adapted Screenplay Nominee

8/10 - The one where they fight

Yes it was great, but I have to admit, it didn't have the same thing for me as the first two.

I expect to get skinned alive for stating that review, too. Trust me, I know how good everyone thinks it is.

For those unaware, Before Sunrise came out in 1995, Before Sunset was in 2004. This film, Before Midnight, is the latest and because it's a sequel it is automatically considered an Adapted Screenplay instead of Original due to Academy rules.

The whole concept of movie sequels that are decades apart is something that seems sort of new and interesting. It's happened with Clerks, revisiting the characters 10 years later. Most sequels are intended to cash in on the success, right away. Time isn't the same in their fictional universe. Sometimes sequels are installments of the same story, so this whole idea of character growth in a 10 year time investment is fascinating.

That being said there was something about the first half of this film that didn't sell me. I loved the romantic Greek setting, I loved the complex relationship Jesse has with his son. But there was something about the heavy handed discussion of insecurities within relationships, then the forced setup of them having a hotel room to return to. It really struck a wrong note for me. I have no doubt that for most people this is nitpicky and unimportant, and I agree. It just took away from some of the enjoyment of the movies for me, it took away some of the spontaneity.

The rest of the film another beautiful installment to a beautiful series. "The fight" is as raw and memorable and vulnerable as the other two but in a new way. This is the first time we've seen this couple as a couple. The long conversations are often a deathblow for other movies, come across as intellectual experiences and are still enjoyable. The second half is so intense, I was enraptured.

If you've seen the other two, it's a no-brainer to see this one. If you haven't do yourself the favor of seeing Before Sunrise as soon as possible.

IMDb - Before Midnight (8.1)
Wikipedia - Before Midnight
Rotten Tomatoes - Before Midnight (98%)
Amazon.ca - Before Midnight