Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" (aka "The 12 Year Project")

An extraordinary tale of ordinariness.

I think it's fair to say that this film would have been worth watching even if it turned out to be a noble failure, all down to the very specifics of its production. But it has transpired to be a fascinating film in its own right, so huzzah!

It's a long old haul and there's a few missteps (like a bizarre, forced scene in a restaurant later on that none too subtlety resolves an earlier 'subplot - i.e. one throwaway scene) but for the most part Boyhood is captivating from beginning to end. It's a warm-hearted and funny tale of growing up that feels truly genuine: a credible, coherent story that sparkles with affection and insight. It's a great film about growing up in the 21st century - the subtle technological advances, cultural nods (a scene where the characters is a joy) and other details all accumulate in a really satisfying way. But beyond that it's a more universal story - even if you're a few years or even a few decades off Mason's timeline, the joys and tribulations of growing up are captured in a beautifully potent way here.

Apart from one mid film section , Boyhood is all about one normal boy's life where nothing particularly extraordinary happens. On its own terms, this means many scenes can be quite laid back and lacking in immediate drama. But it's a brilliant 'whole' film, where all the little scenes, characters and details eventually build up to a finished product that is much more than the sum of its parts. No idea how much was planned from the start and what was decided on over the years, but everything comes together nicely. Not many unexpected things happen in Boyhood, but in a way that's what allows it to soars - there's a tonnes of scenes and emotions almost all viewers will be able to connect with, and it's an impassioned and successful attempt to capture the formative years of one boy's life in an intimate and accessible way. It helps that Linklater largely resists relying on 'big events', with many key moments taking place off screen - that means a lot of subplots play out in a more organic and subtle way, without necessarily resulting in a big melodramatic crescendo.

Linklater has become perhaps the only filmmaker of the moment who has reflected the passing of time so acutely over the course of his filmography, and it helps that he has Ellar Coltrane on board. He really does grow up on screen, his personality and performance evolving in a very rich way over the course of the twelve years - early awkwardness segueing to a more confident, complex individual. Ditto Lorelei Linklater as his sister, who would definitely worked just as well as the centre of attention. Arquette and Hawke are also excellent. While a fairly standardised style is employed throughout, you can also feel Linklater's own style quietly evolving over the course of the film. I know during the first few scenes I was prepared for the worst as Linklater was choosing to soundtrack almost every scene with pop music hits from 2002 as a quite of shorthand scene-setting in a far too obvious way. Luckily it's an impulse he mostly abandons after the first year or two. There's a misjudged scene and some awkward exposition here and there (a few father son chats feel more scripted that naturalistic), but mostly it all works really well.

During the last half hour or so, there seems to be plenty of moments where Linklater is tempted to stop rolling as there's plenty of scenes which could serve as a nice cut to black. But Mason's life keeps on going, and luckily everything ends on a satisfying note that also feels like a hopeful ellipsis. Not sure if there's any plan to do so, but it would be fascinating to check in again in 12 years ala Before Midnight. Even if this is the definitive end of the project, though, it's a big success, a big, bold film that mostly lives up to its lofty ambitions