Boyhood Movie Review

Hello fellow moviegoers!
Boyhood is a film directed by Richard Linklater and starring Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, and Patricia Arquette. It follows the life of a boy named Mason from when he was 6 to when he leaves for college. What really makes this film special is the fact that they filmed it over 12 years. So as the characters grow older and more experienced so do the actors. There has been a ton of Oscar-hype for this film, but is it really as good as everybody is saying it is? 

I watched this movie with my Dad and it was such a great experience. Personally, I am more in the generation of Mason, so the entire movie I was relating to him a lot. But, my Dad was telling me how he was relating to the father played by Ethan Hawke because of the struggles he was having not only as a father, but as a person as well. This movie, is undeniably one of the best films I have ever seen. No matter who you are, you will be able to relate to somebody in this movie. 
Watching the beginning of this film, I felt like a kid again. Seeing Dragon Ball Z on the TV, talking about which Stars Wars character was the coolest (including those in the prequels), and just having a good time. But as time went on, Mason starts to turn into a young man and you can really relate to all the things he is going through.  I absolutely loved how they really didn't have an exact set script when they began. They started filming, and just let time take the reigns, while making sure it did hit a few plot points along the way. This film so realistic that for a little bit I forgot I was watching a movie and thought I was watching a bunch of a friend's old home videos or something. It was so accurate. It didn't try to sugar-coat everything. It showed you how life is, just plain and simple.
The acting in this film is breathtakingly terrific. Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette were both great as Mason's parents. I absolutely loved how the movie wasn't just about Mason, it was also about how his parents after they split, and how they dealt with their kids while they were growing up. These two did a terrific job pulling that off. Patricia Arquette was the Mom that the kids lived with most of the time, and her character really carried the weight of raising these two kids. The emotion she brought to that character was great! Also, Ethan Hawke was the father they visited quite often who was really just trying to be a part of his kids lives. I absolutely loved how you could really see how much he cares about these kids just by the look on his face whenever he's around them. 
But enough about them, let's talk about Ellar Coltrane. Whoever cast this film did such a good job, because they had to choose who would be able to pull off this performance for 12 years, starting as a kid nonetheless. Ellar Coltrane was the perfect pick for Mason. As a kid, his acting may not have been the best, but that can be forgiven because not a lot of kids can act very well. But the thing that made him so great in the film was that as he grew older, he also grew better as an actor. By the end of the movie, he was acting brilliantly!
So, in conclusion, I absolutely loved this film. The characters were great, the acting was brilliant, and the story was amazing. The fact that they filmed it over 12 years is so cool. It is definitely a great achievement in film history. You definitely have to watch this film, no matter who you are.
10/10

So what do you think of Boyhood? This film will no doubt be nominated for Best Picture, but do you think it could win? Let me know by commenting on this post!

Thanks for stopping by!