Journey To Manhood

Anybody that knows me knows that I have seen many movies in my time.  I have to say that Boyhood is one of the most extraordinary movies I have ever seen.  That being said, there are some flaws in the movie that I will point out.

Boyhood is the story of the early life of a boy named Mason. This movie takes place over twelve years, using the same actors for the whole movie.  Watching these actors grow up on screen, particularly the kids, is one of the most emotional things I have ever experienced in movies.  Almost every character has a story arc in this movie, which makes for wonderful storytelling.  However, I did find the time jumps a little jarring.  I would have liked to see some kind of transition or caption like “Six Months Later” instead of the typical cut. 

Patricia Arquette plays the mother of the two children.  She is a single mom that struggles with working two jobs while also taking care of her children.  It is very clear that she wants a better life not only for herself, but for the kids as well.  It is also very evident that her track record with men is not that great.  This is also difficult on the children because every time she leaves a man they end up moving, and it is hard for the children to make any friends.  Living this kind of life is an emotional, and sometimes physical, struggle and she is almost pushed to her limit several times.  Throughout all this, however, it was great to see her set a goal for herself and achieve it.  Patricia Arquette is exceptional in the role.  I did not feel like I was watching an actress in this movie.  I felt like I was watching a real human being, which is one of the reasons Arquette deserved her Oscar.

Ellar Coltrane plays Mason.  Mason is generally a good kind who enjoys living life.  Coltrane is very good in the role.  He oozes coolness and confidence just like any teenager. He also effectively conveys what an emotional struggle it is to accept that his mother is moving on after a divorce, and that the men she dates are not of the highest quality.    It is great to see Mason find his passion in life, and not care about anything else but that.  He procrastinates with his schoolwork sometimes, but it is only because he is so good at what he does that it does not take much time for him to do it. 

Lorelei Linklater plays Mason’s sister, Samantha.  I was quite shocked at how little of this movie revolves around her.  I understand that the movie is called Boyhood and the story is mainly about Mason, but it would have been nice to see Samantha have a story as well instead of just arguing with her brother.  Her character is almost a behind-the-scenes role.  Every other character in the movie has a story arc.  Why not her?

Ethan Hawke plays the father of Mason and Samantha. He was the first husband of Patricia Arquette’s character, and they got divorced.   He shows up on weekends and during the summer to see the kids.  I like the fact that you are not quite sure about him the first time you see him.  You fear that he is going to abandon the kids again, and actually what happens is that you see that he wants to become a better person and a better father.  It is also great to see that Mason and Samantha get along with their father better than the other men that their mother marries, especially considering that their mother and father do not have the best relationship after the divorce at first.  However, as the movie progresses they really develop a mutual respect for each other.  Ethan Hawke is fantastic in the role.  There is a certain mystery about his character, but he also has a good heart and Hawke is so good at playing this kind of character.  This may go down as Ethan Hawke’s best role of his career.

Richard Linklater is the director of Boyhood.  In my opinion, there is a strong argument to be made for Linklater winning the Best Director Oscar for this movie.  I am not saying he should have won, I am just saying there is an argument to be made.  Filming a movie over the course of twelve years is by no means an easy task, and the journey these characters go on is truly epic to watch.  This is an emotional story that shows the struggles of this family, and you really feel like you are along for the ride with them.

There is a quote from this movie that says, “You kind of find your people in college.”  This line resonated with me for many reasons.  For many years, quite possibly most of my life, I felt like this lone movie nerd.  I felt like I was the only one in the world who really had a passion for film and moviemaking information.  Two years ago, I finally decided to go to film school and pursue my dream.  I found my people.  I felt welcome, and I did not feel alone anymore.  I am so happy that I found my passion, because there is nothing I would rather do with my life.  While I am not upset that Birdman won Best Picture, I also would not have been upset if Boyhood would have won.  This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime movie.  If you do not mind Samantha’s lack of story and the occasional plot hole (when exactly did the mother leave her 2^nd husband….or is it her 3^rd?), I highly recommend this movie.

Capturing a Culture

I just finished watching Dazed and Confused for the first time.  Of course, I had heard great things about it, so I was excited to watch it.  The movie surprised me in many positive ways.

While this movie does follow a group of high school seniors who conduct initiations on freshman, this film does not follow a narrative storyline.  Rather, director Richard Linklater captures the culture and time period of America in 1976.  This makes the movie rather special for people who never experienced that lifestyle because the movie is a time capsule and a window into what that world was like.  Everything from the clothing, to the music, to phrases like "whatever", "alright, man", and "far out", this movie just makes you want to lie down on a football field and get high right along with these characters.  Also, I finally know now where McConaughey's famous phrase "Alright, alright, alright." comes from.  It happens twice in the film, and it made me smile each time.

The film has a great ensemble cast including Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Jason London, Joey Lauren Adams, Parker Posey, and Matthew McConaughey. For the purposes of this blog, I want to highlight just a few of them.  Ben Affleck plays Fred O'Bannion, the asshole senior that just loves to bully the freshman.  This movie was released before Affleck was a household name, but his spark still shines bright so early in his career.  Parker Posey plays Darla Marks.  I had not really seen much of her work except in Blade Trinity and Superman Returns.  She brings a certain sass to the roles that I have seen her in, which she does indeed bring to Dazed and Confused.  She is as foul-mouthed as ever, and I cannot help but think that she is somehow related to J.K. Simmon's character from Whiplash.  Matthew McConaughey plays David Wooderson, the cool, calm character who just enjoys living life.  Not taking anything away from the rest of the cast, but McConaughey truly looks and feels like he belongs in that time period.  Also, like Affleck, you can see his talent so early in his career.  It is amazing to think that these two would go on to become Oscar winners.

I love period films.  For me personally, they are a window unto a world that I otherwise would never have seen or experienced.  Dazed and Confused is exactly that.  If you want to know what it was like to live in a time where people just did not give a damn, I highly recommend this movie.