Films

SPOILERS!!! (nothing major though)

Everyone has been heaping praise upon Boyhood and while I generally agree that it’s a great film, I don’t think it’s as great as some seem to. For me the problem was with the main character, I found him unlikeable. He’s an annoying kid and an angsty teenager, fine, but there’s very little to redeem him as a human being. He treats his mum like a stranger and a doormat, and I was amazed that there’s no tenderness between them at all throughout the film, or between him and any of the people around him (all of whom are brilliant characters played wonderfully). I found myself wondering why is the film about him?! He’s one of these people that seems like an enigma at a glance but is actually just boring, selfish and arrogant. His opacity makes people think there's something exciting or alternative happening underneath the surface but actually there isn't. There’s plenty of naval-gazing but very little of interest. No contrast between his outward persona and his private self, just the same guy wondering around, with or without his hot girlfriend, mumbling some entitled bollocks, doing not much. I wanted to know more about his dad, his mum, his sister, anyone else but him essentially.

It occurred to me that the vacancy of this main character, whose Boyhood it is, is saying that he could be anyone, any one of us, boy or girl possibly. As such, it’s less about him and in fact more about his family and situation. It’s an ironic title perhaps. Either way, I found it frustrating and a shame that he’s such an unreceptive non-event of a character. I was dying for him to give his mum a hug the whole time, same goes for the sister. They both expect a comfortable life and aren’t aware how selfish they are. Yes, it’s an interesting aspect of those teenage years, but without some kind of resolution toward the end you just find yourself watching some kid be awkward at his own party. Not actually that interesting it itself. You don't actually get a feeling of how his life has shaped him, at all. Presumably getting some perspective and appreciation is what happens next when he goes to college, you’d certainly hope so.

I like the look and tone of it, and there are some really funny and/or tender moments though. I wasn’t expecting a story arc particularly, in fact I was more than happy to let the ordinariness of it wash over me. I was glad there wasn’t a major tragedy or event, that swung the whole situation around, as I suspected there might be. Even so, it's very thought-provoking but not all that enjoyable. It’s a study of one seemingly unremarkable family among millions. It’s 100% definitely worth seeing, but it’s not even my favourite Linklater film. Dazed and Confused for instance is IMO better at revealing the nuanced and sometimes conflicting journeys of its characters, and its indulgence in nostalgia makes it more colourful as a cinematic prospect. I dunno, I’d like to hear what others thought.

I loved the film, and thought the 'flaws' in the protagonist were part of it's charm. Nothing dramatic happened, he wasn't a child prodigy, the movie was just a narrative on what it is like to be an average kid in the US. I certainly wasn't breaking any barriers when I was 18.