Boyhood
You can’t fully encapsulate someone’s entire life into 2 hours and 45 minutes of film, but this is as close as it gets to it.
I am extremely lucky to have watched this as I reach the end of my boyhood (as a rising high school senior). Every year that I grow older from now, I will probably rewatch this film with different emotions, resonating with different characters. Right now, I’m Mason Junior. But someday, I’ll be Mason Senior reminiscing back at my younger days and maybe recommending this to my own son (this would be far later in the future).
Now, looking at the other reviews, I was quite surprised to see how many people were bored by it. For me, the 3 hours flew by and a part of me didn’t want the movie to end. But I also get it—there’s no climax of the movie. Nothing flashy or grandiose. It’s just life. Maybe mediocre, sometimes tranquil, sometimes turbulent, and maybe boring. But that’s the beauty of this film. It’s what makes it so fcking great.
As a big fan of Dead Poets Society (and Ethan Hawke), I loved the film’s reference to Carpe Diem at the very last scene.
Yes, the moment will seize me. I’ll just flow with the tide as my boyhood flies by, looking forward to adulthood.