When you think about it, Boyhood is nothing short of a miracle. In today’s world of cinema it is rare for a film to completely surprise you with its innovative technique. Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, is that film.

Linklater has composed this work of art over a period of 12 years, where every year he shot some film for this family drama; its principal characters grow physically and emotionally before our very eyes. Boyhood is quite literally, a coming-of-age film. But the miracle is not only in its filmmaking; Boyhood certainly benefits from serendipitous events.

The film follows the life of Mason Evans, Jr., played by Ellar Coltrane. When Boyhood begins, he is six years old, but by the end he is 18, experiencing all the highs and lows of a boy growing into a young man. There are no special effects or makeup. The physical changes we witness where Ellar Coltrane shifts from a cute young boy to an awkward teenager into a young man are real.

As a sure-shot Oscar favourite, Boyhood certainly has a lot going for it

Playing Mason’s mother, Patricia Arquette (Olivia Evans) goes through the most remarkable physical changes, gradually transforming from a petite young woman into a grey-haired woman whose face reflects the challenges of raising two children on her own while dealing with men whose minds were clouded by alcohol. To Linktaker’s credit, while sometimes a little jarring, the transitions between these stages are appreciably smooth.

Likewise, the script also flows freely. When Linklater began working on Boyhood, he claimed that the narrative for his experimental film was not set in stone, and that the dialog would represent some of the personal struggles of the actor, with each player contributing in the evolution of the script.

It is like watching a home video for the silver screen, where you feel strangely bonded with the characters. The result is one of the most intimate films ever made, where the characters’ landmarks remind us of our own history, bringing our own bittersweet emotions to the surface.

Boyhood was a risky endeavor for Linktaker. It is difficult to find actors who can commit to a project that lasts more than a few years, and Boyhood lasted 12.

It is like watching a home video for the silver screen, where you feel strangely bonded with the characters. The result is one of the most intimate films ever made, where the characters’ landmarks remind us of our own history.

Linktaker certainly controlled some elements by casting Ethan Hawke as the father, a favourite actor of Linktaker with whom he worked on several projects over the past decade. Another smart casting choice was to cast his own daughter, Lorelei, as Mason’s sister. Here, Lorelei is excellent in the film, providing some especially amusing sequences early on, and eventually growing into a confident young woman weary of repeating her mother’s mistakes.

But Boyhood’s greatest miracle is Ellar Coltrane himself, who proves to be an effective actor and an interesting young man whose life makes for engaging viewing. Certainly Linktaker had no guarantees when he began the project in 2002. One of the most remarkable aspects of Ellar Coltrane is how closely he resembles Ethan Hawke, as if he truly was his son.

Due to its unconventional nature, Boyhood may not prove to be every viewer’s cup of tea. Taken on their own, no single acting performance, scene or dialog stand out as extraordinary. It is like a jigsaw puzzle, where the pieces themselves aren’t particularly remarkable, but when put together, paint an exquisite timeline. Yes, Boyhood is life.

Rated R for language including sexual references, and for teen drug and alcohol use

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 25th, 2015

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