Boyhood

This did it for me. I've been Linklater'd. Review for class: It's genuinely beautiful to see a story told in this format. For some people I can see how the unattractive parts bring it down a bit as the dialogue is spotty and the acting is questionable at times. With that being said, it’s a slam dunk still. Personal preference! I’ll always be a sucker for nostalgia driven stories and reflection on life. It will always be beautiful to me. The story doesn’t just give anything straight to the viewer, but chooses to flesh out the big ideas over a long period of time; kinda like life that’s crazy. Ideas of personal identity and the realization of self reliance drive kids to become themselves as they grow up. From the very beginning, Mason’s school first introduces the question that is asked later on of “what do you want to be?” With this in mind the story has a whole different perspective. How is this kid going to learn to be himself? And what is it that he’ll become? It’s the little things that seem small in the moment but look larger and more defining in retrospect. This film also does a good job at acknowledging the other figures in someone's life. Parents, friends, teachers, partners all playing roles in each other's lives and forming connections that impact more than just one individual. Every interaction demonstrates some form of acknowledgement, whether it's a big deal or not every action means something in the vast picture of existence. That sounds more existential than I meant for it to sound!