Boyhood
Cynical should be my middle name, or so some would say. Even so the writer in me is partial to a bit of romanticism every now and then. When I’m feeling a bit indulgent of the fantasy of relationships, I find that nothing quite encapsulates an ideal like the Before trilogy. Upon hearing that the director behind them, David Linklater, had released a new film the romantic inside me started screaming for a day out.
One of the aspects of Linklater's direction that I find most engaging is his choice to film much of his work in real time. Before Sunset for instance, follows the space of one day - no lapses in time, or gaps in the narrative, just the complete undistracted focus on two people's day together. Boyhood is arguably the most ambitious of Linklater's endeavours to date. Taking 12 years to complete, the film follows one boy's life from the age of 5 to 18. The incredible thing about this is it is again filmed in real time, thus the actor playing the protagonist does indeed age at the same pace as his character. A commitment to a project by the actors and director in equal measure, to know that one film is going to be a time commitment that will absorb the most part of your childhood. If ever there was a true claim at a bildungsroman this is it.
In an age that glazes over the natural process of ageing as best it can, it is refreshing to see it occur on a large screen with no attempt to hide it. Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke who play Mason's parents have both been heralded as sensations in their youth. It may then be considered bold to allow their age to be displayed in such frankness. Though of course, it should be said that such a decision should not be marked as incredible in any way. Hopefully instead of sparking reactions of shock it will better reveal the complete normality of ones physical appearance altering with time.
Further than the appearance of the film, the delivery by the actors must be noted in itself. To have a character development tied in so closely with the actors themselves seems to be a directorial decision that pays off in great measure. The depth of exploration that occurs throughout the film means that you become emotionally confounded in each of the characters. As an audience we observe Ellar Coltrane's method, playing the lead role of Mason, develop alongside the progression of the movie. Though the focus is primarily on Mason's coming of age, Linklater achieves a scope that reveals the complexities of each character and the overriding dynamic of family life. Perhaps most interesting is the ability to reveal the potential faults that can occur in parenthood, in a way that is not dramatic but rather realistic in a way that can be described most accurately as human.
For me, the film perhaps sat more closely, as I'm sure it would for a large proportion of the audience. Separated from my mother by cities, we both sat in front of our prospective cinema screens and watched as our own lives were unfolded. The film directly followed the period at which I was growing up, with a soundtrack and cultural references that were reflective of that time. Though nostalgia is something that is not uncommon when engaging with films, at this level it was felt more strongly than I have ever experienced before. The best part then, was that through watching it my own fond memories of childhood were sparked, allowing me to feel much closer to home than I actually was. The biggest achievement of Linklater in my eyes, is that it united the parent's with their children who had now come of age, creating a feeling of recognition on such a vast scale that in the darkness of that screen it could almost be felt echoing in the nods and laughs of remembrance.
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