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Boyhood was literally a magnum opus 12 years in the making. What writer/director Richard Linklater had attempted was something so immensely ambitious in cinema that could have easily faltered and failed. However, as I expressed in my Sundance review of the film, Boyhood was the build-up of 12 years of cinematic work that ultimately pays off and has the ability to change our perception on how fictional dramas can be made.
In case you missed my review (and really, you should see the film first before you have me come around and poison your mind over how absolutely amazing it is), Boyhood is about a young six year old boy named Mason (Ellar Coltrane) contending with an almost rapid-fire succession of life changes, first with his absent Father re-entering his life, being moved to another town, his Mother’s various relationships, and the overall pangs of growing into adulthood. However, what makes Boyhood so special is that Linklater would shoot a few weeks of the film every year, tracking Coltrane’s own life, adapting the narrative and certain events to tailor to Coltrane’s interests. Before long, you begin to see the seeds of Mason’s/Coltrane’s personality begin to take shape as the years pass by. The film also stars Ethan Hawke (Before Midnight) and Patricia Arquette (Boardwalk Empire) as Mason’s parents and Linklater’s own daughter, Lorelei, as Mason’s sister.
It truly is a remarkable film that I implore everybody to see once it hits theaters on July 11th. Seriously, if you can only watch one trailer this week, make sure it’s Boyhood‘s.