Boyhood

http://boyhoodmovie.tumblr.com/

Suggested on a whim by my cinema buddy (who now has his very own tumblr and writes mini reviews - I am so proud of you man!), Boyhood was only showing at our local independent cinema, but it's Richard Linklater so how could I say no? 

Boyhood is the first film of it's kind, where a six year old was cast in 2002 and the film was shot over 12 years. That might sound impressive, but you have to remember that it wasn't only the six year old that filmed the movie over the space of 12 years, everyone in the film did too! What an amazing project to be involved in. 

It's utterly fascinating to me that they did this. I have often thought when watching films with young characters who grow up, for example, We Need To Talk About Kevin, where several actors played the role of Kevin, what it would be like if they just staged the shooting over a number of years and used the same actor. I should have known that Richard Linklater, who has always brought such realism to his movies, would be the one to pull this off. 

As I said above, the film spans 12 years in the life of Mason, a six year old at the start, with your average set of childhood problems, not being able to concentrate in class, having parents who are divorced, and an older sister who is super annoying. Over the 12 years we see Mason cope with alcoholic step fathers, girlfriends, school, what he wants to do when he's older, responsibility, and ultimately discovering the kind of person he has grown up to be. 

His life is not extraordinary, but the way that the story is told, using the same actors all the way through, really makes Boyhood stand out from the crowd. 

It's emotionally engaging, it's funny, it's sad, it feels so real that it's kinda like reading someone else's diary. 

The casting was absolutely key to this movie and Linklater has chosen his actors perfectly. I have loved Patricia Arquette since I saw True Romance around 20 years ago, and I cannot tell you how nice it is to see her finally do something so worthy of her ability as an actress. She has been underused for so long. Linklater regular Ethan Hawke also puts in a fine performance, but of course the film really belongs to Ellar Coltrane, who is mesmerising to watch as Mason.

The film is long at nearly 3 hours but unlike another 3 hour movie I watched recently, the time flew. The showing I attended was sold out, and I just got this feeling that the whole room was just as engaged and drawn in as I was. I don't think I have ever felt that before. The movie also got a very deserved round of applause at the end, which is also incredibly rare. 

If Boyhood is showing in a cinema near you, I urge you to see it. It really is worth it. 10 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 12th July 2014

UK Release Date - 11th July 2014

Cast Overview:

Mason ~ Ellar Coltrane

Olivia (Mason's Mom) ~ Patricia Arquette

Mason Sr (Mason's Dad) ~ Ethan Hawke

Samantha ~ Lorelei Linklater

Director/Writer ~ Richard Linklater 

Before Midnight

http://www.sonyclassics.com/beforemidnight/

Before Sunrise was given to me as a birthday gift from my brother. The fact that I remember this shows that it was one of the better birthday gifts I have received in my lifetime.

Needless to say I loved it. And when I found out there was a sequel set 9 years later, and not only that but that my best friend loved the original and couldn't wait to see said sequel, I was even more excited. I loved the rich, realistic dialogue. And the chemistry Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy had was the kind that most actors can only dream of.

So, what did happen after Celine (Julie Delpy) sang A Waltz For A Night to Jesse (Ethan Hawke) at the end of Before Sunset? Did he catch his flight back to the US? Back to his wife and son? Did he hell!

We pick up with the couple another 9 years down the road, Jesse's son Hank is just leaving Greece having stayed with his dad and Celine over the summer. Jesse and Celine now have twin daughters of their own, and that amazing banter they shared in the previous films is still evident, but it's tinged with sourness due to Jesse's guilt over leaving his son in the US in order to remain with Celine in France. It's putting pressure on them, as is Celine's natural closeness with Hank, that Jesse clearly envies. Will their history be the tie that binds or will they have gone their separate ways by the time the next 9 years have gone by?

Before Midnight keeps the realism of the first two movies, but whilst those movies were filled with hope, this instalment feels very bitter in comparison. *Spoiler Alert* The last half an hour of the film is a very intimate verbal spat between the two, and the way it's shot, following what was beginning as a love scene, feels a little too close for comfort. Julie Delpy spends most of this scene topless, which I didn't feel was at all necessary. Especially given the lack of nudity in the previous films, and given the lack of exposure on Hawke's part. It felt overly unequal that the woman should be exposed in this way. And whilst I appreciate that this was clearly done to prove some sort of point about how women are naturally more exposed in situations like this, or that men always have the upper hand, it just didn't come across this way to me. It seemed completely out of character with the other two films and entirely unnecessary.

Which is a shame because I spent so much time wanting Delpy to cover herself up I undoubtedly missed a lot of what she was saying in this pivotal scene. This film, along with The World's End (review to follow shortly), which is another end to a long spanning trilogy, really makes me worry about my future. Both beginnings to the trilogy's start in the characters 20s, and both films are essentially about being young and carefree and just enjoying life. The next films, set in the characters 30s, are considerably more serious, dealing with much harsher topics; and the final films, set in the characters 40s are all about missed opportunities and bitterness. If that's all my 40s has in stall for me I'm not sure I'm looking forward to that so much?

Delpy and Hawke's natural chemistry with each other is still present, and the script they co-wrote with director Richard Linklater, is as realistic as Sunset, but whereas Sunset was full of fond remembrance and hope, Midnight is full of over familiarity and discontent. The romantic in me wants to believe this pair can overcome anything, but the realist in me isn't so sure.

For those who have seen and loved the previous films, this last instalment is a must. Just don't expect a happy ending. 7 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 23rd June 2013

UK Release Date - 21st June 2013

Cast Overview:

Jesse ~ Ethan Hawke

Celine ~ Julie Delpy

Hank ~ Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick

Ella ~ Jennifer Prior

Nina ~ Charlotte Prior

Natalia ~ Xenia Kalogeropoulou

Patrick ~ Walter Lassally

Anna ~ Ariane Labed

Achilleas ~ Yiannis Papadopoulos

Ariadni ~ Athina Rachel Tsangari

Stefanos ~ Panos Koronis

Director ~ Richard Linklater

Writer(s) ~ Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke

Characters by Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan

The Purge

Mini Review

http://www.thepurgemovie.co.uk/

I was intrigued by the trailer for The Purge but had little intention of ever seeing it. That was until I offered to take a friend for a drink for his Birthday. Which lead to a further offer of seeing a Birthday movie together. I'm a sucker for Birthday movies, and being that it was his Birthday, I let him choose the movie and lo, he picked The Purge. 

I was expecting a mild horror but what I got from The Purge was actually a thriller, and not an all that bad one. The film, set in 2022, opens on the Sandin family preparing to lock down their property for the annual purge; a night when there is no law and everything is a free for all, murder, looting, anything goes. Those who don't want to be a part of the purge lock themselves away in their homes, and place blue flowers outside their residence to allow those taking part to know that while they respect their right to purge, they would ask to be left alone. Once the purge has begun, the daughter of the family, Zoe (Adelaide Kane), discovers her boyfriend Henry (Tony Oller) has snuck into their house before the lockdown, with the intention of confronting her father James (Ethan Hawke) about his disapproval of their relationship. Meanwhile, the family's son Charlie (Max Burkholder), notices a situation outside on the security cameras, and opens the door to a wounded man. Little does he know that this man had been targeted for destruction by those purging. And now that the man has taken refuge in the family's home, they are now on the purger's hit list.

The Purge has an interesting, and certainly original premise, even if it's not all that well executed. It's played for scares from the off and does have a few jumpy moments, but is overall quite tame if you're a hardened horror fan such as I am. The story moves along at a good pace and builds good tension as it goes. But it's twists are all very obvious if, like me, you know what to expect from a movie like this. There was only one real surprise for me and that's when a character died that I wasn't expecting. But all of the other twists at the end I saw coming a mile off.

The other thing that bothered me throughout was the complete lack of chemistry between Hawke and Lena Headey who plays his wife. They've got two kids and yet you never feel any love lost between them, which is kinda essential to the story later on. So on the one hand, The Purge was better than I was expecting, but on the other hand it still didn't quite make the grade. 5.5 out of 10. 

Viewing Date - 5th June 2013

UK Release Date - 31st May 2013

Cast Overview:

Ethan Hawke ~ James Sandin

Lena Headey ~ Mary Sandin

Max Burkholder ~ Charlie Sandin

Adelaide Kane ~ Zoe Sandin

Edwin Hodge ~ Target/Hostage

Rhys Wakefield ~ Polite Stranger

Tony Oller ~ Henry

Director/Writer ~ James DeMonaco