"The rite of passage lies in the heart of this film"

Richard Linklater’s latest endeavour Boyhood has been making waves in the film industry since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. The epitome of a coming-of-age film, Boyhood was filmed over a 12-year period with the same actors playing the same roles. This one-of-a-kind film could have either been a masterpiece or a good idea that was probably better on paper than in practice, fortunately it looks like the film critic masses and myself has firmly decided on the former.

We follow Mason (Ellar Coltrane) from the age of 5 to 18. Breathtakingly epic, Linklater doesn’t pander to the audience and doesn’t signpost when the film skips a few years. Instead we pass smoothly through the important passages of Mason’s life and his surrounding family feeling like voyeurs, quietly watching wondering what will happen next. Mason’s family consists of his older sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater) who is fantastically annoying in Mason’s younger years, hard working mother Olivia (Patricia Arquette) and somewhat absent father Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke).

The rite of passage lies in the heart of this film. We pass by cultural touchstones likes queuing for the new Harry Potter book and nostalgic game consoles but the evolution of the characters is magnificent to behold. Arquette is introduced to us a feisty young mother who is tough but understanding, never pandering to her children instead listening to their concerns and worries with sincere empathy. We see her battle two drunken ex-husbands, protect her children and start her life over many times. We see how the tough years effect her as time passes and even though she’s made all the right choices we see how women who sacrifice for their children sometimes are left with remnants of a life rather than a complete one.

Mason Sr is a typical Linklater character – a free spirit, an idealist and someone who thinks himself apart from the rest of the masses. This is also how he wants to raise his children, he doesn’t want to be just ‘dad’ he wants to be somehow pivotal in their ideas and values. Hawke plays him perfectly as someone with good intentions but no commitment, despite all these notions we see Mason Sr. let down Mason constantly but like most father and son relationships, forgiveness is given eagerly.

Whether you are a mother, son, father, daughter or sibling. You’ll find something within Boyhood that will resonate to your deepest core. This family maybe more dysfunctional than yours or perhaps you had a much tougher upbringing, there is something in this film that will make you want to call your parents or your sibling and possibly apologise or to just talk. Boyhood touches on a multitude of topics but the topic, which resonated mostly with me, is the effect of older men on young boys. We see Mason grow up to be a fairly emphatic, if slightly cocky and selfish, young man whose mother has given up everything to give him a better life. Yet it seems that the negative influence of his father, or the young boys who gave him a beer when he was 13, or his abusive stepdads have had a greater effect on his character than the positive influences that surround him. A film that will be discussed constantly but all you need to know about Boyhood is – it’s a masterpiece, go watch it now.