Boyhood

Richard Linklater, 2014

Can I Stream it?

5/5

Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Boyhood focuses mostly on Mason (Ellar Coltrane) from age 5 to age 18 as he endures some of the most formative years of his young life in Texas.

Linklater has a really interesting voice when it comes to looking at the world. It's evident in virtually all of his films; a sort of rebellious, looking at the clouds, lost in the music abstractism. When it's channeled through the eyes of a young boy, it continues to be engaging and visceral. Boyhood is his boldest work.  The dedication and ambition to create a movie that spans 12 years is astonishing. The production has to run on the cast's good faith due to the fact that they can't secure contracts for that length of time. All during such a critical and sensitive time in young Ellar Coltrane and Lorelai Linklater's (his real life daughter) life. Time when they are distracted by so many other things. People their age are playing football one moment and in the school band the next. Constantly running on impulses. The 12 year production even involved having a backup plan in the event that Linklater suddenly died; Ethan Hawke would step in and complete the film.

Boyhood is a beautiful, heartfelt masterpiece. It's a complete coming of age tale combined with a turbulent family drama, and the scale of it is much bigger than some of the spotty acting that may be present at times. It plays out like a rock record with some goofs that were baked in to the final pressing. After all, Led Zeppelin's "Since I've Been Loving You" wouldn't be the same without John Bonham's squeaky bass pedal. Not only are you seeing young Coltrane actually age through the story but you are actually seeing the wrinkles on the faces of Hawke and Arquette appear over time, and with them the memories of their comprehensive characters develop. The chapters of their life unfold and you are there on the journey. The ebbs and flows, ups and downs. The more bountiful days, the more desperate ones. It's captivating, exhaustive, and just real. 

Shotgun Stories

Jeff Nichols, 2007

4/5

Son Hayes learns of his fathers death. Reflecting on years of abuse by the man, he decides to make an appearance at his funeral. When he describes the man that he knew, his father's children from his second marriage defend his character which creates a feud between the half brothers.

Nichols directs a truly heavy piece here. These complicated but reserved characters, placed in front of a bleak industrial landscape, surely have years of history - most of which is not pleasant. The sounds of their father still resonate through the barren fields behind their asbestos-sided shack. Michael Shannon is perfectly cast as the ambiguously named Son Hayes, older brother of Boy Hayes (Douglas Ligon) and Kid Hayes (Barlow Jacobs). The brothers' lack of formal names only adds to the mystique of their past, and the years they try to forget. The sudden quarrel between the half brothers feels authentic, and the build up of tension and the growing conflict feels very real. Almost too real. Certainly a study on ones lack of control, of feeding into a particular impulse, not really thinking of any consequences. The rival Hayes boy's, who were raised by a sober Father Hayes, saw a different man. A man they were proud to have his blood pumping through their veins. A man they were proud to defend. There is a certain sense of sympathy for these boys too, because they don't know the person that Son Hayes describes. They were treated to the upgraded Father Hayes. Unfortunately all Son Hayes can see is his father in every one of his half brothers. Like they are a living ghost. You wonder if they could possibly bury the hatchet, could they connect with each other? Or is the town too small for all of Hayes boys? Perhaps there isn't enough farmland in the rural town to bury the memories.

There is a noticeable sense of maturity to the film by Nichols. The acoustic guitar riff echoes through the film and only augments the melodrama. It finally plays out at the ending credits, serving as a catharsis to the long constructed angst. While not a happy piece to watch by any means, it's a compelling drama that makes an impression. 

Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Lasse Hallstrom, 2009


3/5

Based on a true story, Parker Wilson (Richard Gere) discovers a stray dog at his local train station. Not wanting to surrender it to the pound, he decides to take it home. He soon discovers that the dog returns to the train station every day to await his return from the University where he teaches.

The Japanese story of Hachiko, the loyal Akita Inu, is told in Western form. It's a compelling story and a look at an everlasting emotional bond of dog and man. Richard Gere is reunited with Jason Alexander, who plays Carol the station manager. Although the film is quite formulaic, it doesn't need to run on much more than its rather basic story to extract the teardrops. Gere is effective as the forbearing father who can't think of the dog spending the night in the cold puppy pound. Ironically, Hachi sits through the cold winter months waiting for Parker to step off of the train cart. The connection between the two is both unique and inspiring. Hallstrom uses creative techniques such as shooting from Hachi's perspective, using vague colors to mimic canine vision. The emotional tone of the movie will solicit memories of Marley and Me. While somber at times, its a story worth being told.