Movie Review: Boyhood…feels the long years it films

Some of you might feel I have violated one of my own cardinal principles and given away the storyline..by the look of the review title. Well, be assured, I haven’t given away anything. In fact, here’s the real shocker – this movie has nothing to give away - no storyline or plot and therein, lies its greatest weakness

Boyhood is very well made – no doubt about it. A scathing commentary on the American culture and where we are all headed if we continue down this garden path is very thought provoking. However, when it takes 169 minutes for the director to say all he has to say, it can be exhausting and in the absence of a movie-like plot – you feel time slowing down even more. Furthermore, whatever message the director ends up giving isn’t really uplifting. The scenes are painfully realistic – cutting out the escapist, idealistic façade which make most movies a delight and exposing the grime and struggle of life. Instead you feel even more depressed and frustrated – not your ideal time at the movies.

I heard about the tremendous efforts that went into making this movie and the kind of painstaking diligence and discipline it took to make the transition feel as natural as possible in the movie. However, my concern is that while the effort is certainly laudable, as an audience, it doesn’t matter as much. I could’ve possibly felt the same effect with 3 similar looking child actors than I did with what was presented.

The movie shines at times when it treads the familiar road of the boy and girl having conversations that would be considered much ahead of their ages – the kind that made the Before (Sunrise, Sunset and Midnight) series the hit it was.

In terms of performances, the real recognizable actor is really Ethan Hawke. However, the rest of the ‘family’ also all do a solid job and there’s no complaint there – especially Patricia Arquette as the mother.

If you are okay with movies without a plot but rather a large slice of real life, you can jump right in to Boyhood, though its long runtime is bound to have even you looking impatiently at the watch every now and then. For the others, who need a definite storyline and some excitement – better to recollect your own childhood instead, Boyhood isn’t gonna interest you