The movie tracks the years in the life of a young boy named Mason from the time he was seven until he went to college. The part is played with surprising tenderness by Ellar Coltrane (he had no previous acting experience when he was cast) who literally grows up before our very eyes. Amid a summer filled with movies populated by state-of-the-art computer-generated special effects, Ellar Coltrane stands out as the best special effect there is this summer!
"Boyhood" is a heartwarming and moving film that reaffirms how precious and fleeting time is and that what we have in the present is the only thing that really matters.
I will echo the sentiments of many critics here, Richard Linklater has definitely crafted what is perhaps one of the most important and greatest contributions of America to world cinema. What he has achieved here is beyond magic; he created life on screen -- a life that mirrors pretty much our lives to some varying degree, of course. It makes you long for the childhood that you've had and also makes you look forward to more milestones, more special moments that you will create in the life that you are trying to build.
Did I already mention that I loved it? This early, the Best Screenplay and Best Director Oscars are Linklater's to lose. And if the academy would try to look ahead and place themselves in a position where they can judge "Boyhood" from some twenty years now and see its importance in the evolution of cinema as a medium to capture life then "Boyhood" is your rightful Oscar Best Picture winner already!
Rating: 5 glorious stars!!!
XXX
Raymond Lo
