Boyhood

When I first read the description of Boyhood, I was confused but also intrigued as to how this film was going to be made. Richard Linklater clearly had a strong ambition to make what he described as a 'lifetime project', and he certainly achieved his ambition with Boyhood. What has come of this 12 year project is a great movie, both realistic yet a great Hollywood film too. To make such a complex film run so smoothly and appear effortless really is a great achievement, when you consider the lengths the director and actors went to to make this film a resounding success. Boyhood has deservedly been nominated for 6 Oscars, including the coveted Best Picture, which I feel it has a great chance of winning, having picked up a handful of awards already this season.

This must have been a hard film to act in, as all the main characters are so closely linked they would have had to develop a real bond, not just a fake one on screen. I really felt as if this cast had a great connection, particularly between Lorelei Linklater and Ellar Coltrane (who played sister and brother respectively). As well as the children, both the parents, Patricia Arquette (Mom) and Ethan Hawke (Dad), were excellent, and both were deservedly nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Actor at the Oscars for their respective roles. Whilst Hawke looks set to miss out to J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), it appears Arquette is in with a very good shot of winning, despite strong competition from Emma Stone (Birdman). Every role was so beautifully representative of real life; the way the characters were with each other, particularly the brother-sister relationship, which almost totally reflected my own relationship with my sister, despite the bickering, we always have each other's backs. On a side note, they included the obvious Uncle who thinks he's a comedian when he isn't, which I thought was an excellent subtle message from Linklater. The chemistry between the actors make this film such a greater achievement, never before have I felt like I was watching a real family, not just actors.
There is no denying the accuracy Boyhood; it stuck perfectly well with the year a specific scene was based in, perfectly soundtracking (I'm aware this isn't a word) each year individually, with a range from Coldplay's 'Yellow' all the way to Crank That (Soulja Boy). What stands out the most for me about this film is how honest and real it felt. Linklater really played on today's society, the parents are divorced, a common theme in today's world, and he showed the struggle of the mother and new relationships, as well as Mason's (Coltrane) clear dislike of new stepfathers, much like many children today do. Despite this being a sad thing to reflect upon, I felt that Linklater totally nailed this aspect of the film to make it feel real to the viewer. Overall, Boyhood was a really excellent tale that represents all the ups and downs to growing up as a boy in today's society, and a story that I feel many people will be able to relate to, including myself. I strongly recommend this film, if you are a viewer who enjoys a well-made, clever and realistic film, and I feel that Linklater's ambition really has paid off to produce one of the most intelligent films ever made, I film I thoroughly enjoyed and without a doubt would give a 10/10.