- RELEASED: 2014
- RUNTIME: 165 mins
- WRITTEN BY: Richard Linklater
- DIRECTED BY: Richard Linklater
- STARRING: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater, Libby Villari, Marco Perella, Brad Hawkins
I love how ambitious this movie is and just the whole idea of shooting a movie over 12 years and following the actors’ lives in real time but I don’t think this movie did any cinematic justice for boyhood. For me it’s just extremely dull and there isn’t a modicum of emotion or relatability. It feels like there’s such a big distance between the audience and the movie because I never felt for any of the characters and I never felt like I even got to know Mason. I understand that it’s trying to show how your experiences shape you as you’re growing up but I don’t see how Mason’s experiences have shaped him by the end and it focuses way too much on the parents rather than just letting us become acquainted with him. It’s just not at all moving. And I usually love Linklater but it’s lifelessly directed and some of the dialogue is so wooden and cringe-worthy. Also, I still struggle to figure out why the hell Patricia Arquette won a goddamn Oscar for the most average performance of the decade, especially considering she was up against Emma Stone for Birdman. I should’ve just trusted my opinion of this movie from 6 years ago when I first saw it cause this rewatch was honestly miserable.