Boyhood (Linklater, 2014)

Over a decade ago, writer and director Richard Linklater began working on his mysterious "twelve-year project". Hoping to gather the same cast and crew a few weeks out of every year to film portions of the story, he wanted to encapsulate childhood in a single film. He hired Patricia Arquette of Medium fame to play the single mother, and brought his own daughter, Lorelei Linklater, onboard to play the older sister to his main protagonist. The director wanted the boy in this film, played by Ellar Coltrane, to literally age before our very eyes on the screen.

Linklater brought these actors back every year to film the next chapter in the life of the boy. It took twelve years to complete, but by the end of the picture, we see Coltrane age from five to eighteen in just a few hours of footage. When the film finally premiered after years of media attention at the Sundance Film Festival, it was met with universal acclaim, and reviews have only gotten better as more and more people see it. 

I finally got the opportunity to see Boyhood a few days ago- and it's all I've been thinking about ever since. Linklater's epic is a life-changing experience, showcasing the power of hard work and the memories of my own generation through the eyes of an aging boy. Not a single frame was wasted, nor a single line of dialogue extraneous- Boyhood is without a doubt one of the most perfect movies I have ever seen.

The commitment required to make Boyhood is staggering. Think about it: where were you twelve years ago? How have times changed since then? How have you changed since then? Each one of these actors made a solemn vow to uphold their part in the project, not because they were legally bound, but because of their strict dedication to their art. It's clear that everyone in this movie wants to be here, wants to show how simple yet infinitely complex a single life remains. 

Boyhood's story comes second to its epic technical scope, but the simplicity of the narrative only adds to the perfection of the picture. Mason is the second child of Olivia (Arquette) and Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke), a divorced couple who reach far beyond the stereotypes of single working mother and absent father. Mason grows up with new fathers, in new homes, with new friends, yet we're always watching his story unfold. The supporting characters are interesting but not necessarily complicated- unless they pertain directly to Mason's development in his long-term growth.

The film's plot itself doesn't seem very interesting on the surface, but don't misunderstand me- it's intended to be that way, and the film is incredibly entertaining beyond its technical achievements. That's part of the magic of Boyhood, that it doesn't bother with the "easy life cliches" such as marriage or learning how to drive for the first time. Instead, the film focuses on the "little moments", day-to-day stuff that may not mean much in the overall life of Mason, but is fascinating to watch how his life unfolds from one age to the next.

The little details of Boyhood are what make it stand out: from the types of music to the video games Mason is playing, there's clearly a lapse in time that Linklater wanted to address. I also really noticed how the lenses of the shots got cleaner as time went by, as the technology to create a movie got better with time. It shows how far we've come in only the past decade, and it's something fascinating for film buffs to watch carefully.  

Linklater directs the film carefully, so that every question from previous sections is answered, but never directly or easily. It makes you interpret how the times have changed, and make your own judgements on why you think something happens a certain way. There's some clear planning going on here, but on the whole, I feel that a lot of this film is improvised and adapted year after year, to make it fresh and reflective of the times it's trying to convey. 

Linklater's camera shots are wonderful and iconic as well; the first scene of Mason staring at the stars makes you wonder what not only Mason is thinking, but what Linklater himself is imagining for the next several years. There are so many parts that just managed to work perfectly, such as scenes that feature Mason getting his haircut, Mason Sr. and Jr. talking about the future of Star Wars ages before the seventh one was announced, and watching a home run live with the actors at an actual baseball game. 

There's no title cards telling you when Mason ages, or no time indicators to show how much time has past from one scene to the next. It takes about a half hour to get used to this, or to even notice its happening; suddenly, the film will shift from one year to the next. By the end of Boyhood you will finally realize how much time has elapsed in just three hours, simply by looking at the final frame, and then the poster. It's breathtaking and surreal to experience. 

Of course, all of this is anchored by Ellar Coltrane's stunning performance as Mason, every bit as talented, if not more so, with each new year. His aging performance is something we've never seen before in a fictional setting. Sure, we watched Daniel Radcliffe age in the Harry Potter franchise, but not like this, and certainly not for this long (as a side note, the Boy Who Lived makes an appearance in the film as one of the yearly milestones that Mason experiences). 

I was also vastly impressed by Lorelei Linklater, who's casting I originally attributed to nepotism but later realized was a stroke of genius; the director said of his daughter, "I knew where she was going to be for the next twelve years". Both Arquette and Hawke do something completely unexpected with their characters, and it's actually shocking to see what they become by the picture's end. 

What really got me, however, were the supporting actors; while all of the four leads were expected to return every year, there was no guarantee the other people could or even would return. It takes at least one run-through of the picture to realize that most of the characters had to return sometimes years after their simple bit-part a few years earlier. It was a magical moment when a character from one of the earlier sections made an appearance in the later part of the movie, and I realized at that time how special Boyhood remains. 

All four of the main actors are deserving of Academy Award nominations and wins, and the film itself should maintain the stamina to make a major dent come this awards season. It's hard to imagine a film topping this landmark cinematic achievement.  

Boyhood is unlike anything ever seen before, and it's a technical marvel that's epic in scope yet so simplistic in its storytelling. It makes all other films seem rushed in comparison, and it's evidently clear that Richard Linklater took his time to patiently create the movie he set out to make from the beginning. It's intimate in its character study, nearly perfect in it's execution, and full of humor and heart. 

Boyhood is a masterpiece, and shall remain in the pantheon of the greatest films of all time for decades to come.

Guardians of the Galaxy (Gunn, 2014)

If Star Wars and The Avengers had a baby, the result would be Guardians of the Galaxy.

A fun, addicting space opera, Guardians is the most original and fun Marvel movie to date; not necessarily the best of the wildly popular cinematic franchise, but certainly one of the most memorable. Marvel and Disney took a huge chance with a team that has an unusually small Marvel fan base, but now no one will ever question who the Guardians of the Galaxy are ever again.

Combining the comedic and fun elements of the previous Marvel Cinematic Universe movies with the epic nature of being in deep space for 99% of the movie, it is a passionate affair that has a lot of heart and good-natured humor. The film is also non-stop action; even the more talky parts are elevated by the cast's incredible chemistry and a sharp screenplay that includes numerous pop culture references and insanely quotable dialogue. It's clean, family-friendly entertainment that everyone will enjoy. Director James Gunn really nailed this one on the head.

The five members of Guardians of the Galaxy (and major kudos to the marketing team for the film which made these names and faces recognizable long before the film was actually released) are Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), and Rocket Racoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper, performance captured by Sean Gunn, James' brother). All of them share equal screen time, and each are developed in a way that's nearly impossible to do. As previously demonstrated with The Avengers, the folks at Marvel are very talented in keeping their large casts on level playing fields with one another, never letting one overtake the other.

The plot follows Quill, a human raised by space bandits, starts the film by looking for a mysterious, high-priced orb on an alien world. Once he gets it, he is hunted by Gamora, who is working for galactic boss Thanos (Josh Brolin, taking over the "big purple guy" role from the end credits of The Avengers), bounty hunters Rocket and Groot, and hitman Korath (Djimon Hounsou). The orb is highly valuable, and incredibly powerful if used properly; the villainous Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) wants to use the orb to destroy the Nova Corps and their home world. After an unusual sequence of events, and not wanting the orb to fall into enemy hands, the four Guardians, along with Drax, must work together to stop evil from reigning over the galaxy.

The characters are what makes most Marvel films so popular, and Guardians is no exception. Ronan is a singularly menacing bad guy, and is significantly more threatening than the other Phase 2 Marvel baddies. Even the henchman, which also includes Nebula (Karen Gillan), are brutal villains. Oscar favorites John C. Reilly, Benecio Del Toro, and Glenn Close also contribute their own talents to the picture, demonstrating that this project is special in its high potential as a new, original, series. Unlike many other movies, Guardians actually uses its characters equally well, and even the supporting cast is sympathetic and recognizable (thanks in part to the high caliber nature of much of the ensemble).

A ragtag group of heroes, the titular Guardians of the Galaxy are an eclectic group of misfits who have no one to look out for other then themselves. They're orphans of their own species, and each has a secret agenda that haunts them to their core. Each has a tragic backstory, and despite what they say, they each need other to survive in this hectic galaxy. The actor's chemistry is phenomenal, and the scenes of them talking is absolutely hysterical. There's so many little nuances to their comedy that makes each line cause a laugh, and the line following after it to be even funnier.

In addition to the characters, Guardians of the Galaxy succeeds because of the impressive visual effects. It has probably the best use of IMAX 3D since Gravity, and the effects are well developed and expertly used. Groot and Rocket look incredible, and fit in nicely with the real-life actors. The battle sequences are awesome to behold, and it's bone-chilingly choreographed and directed. The makeup looks great, and it's very clear that the production team took time to carefully develop even the side aliens, as well as the unique set design of the various different worlds.

The music, featuring Quill's mix tape "Awesome Mix Vol. 1", elevates this film to the next level of greatness. This summer's films have done a nice job of using classic rock songs effectively, and are finally starting to do away with the god-awful cliche of adding a pop song over the end credits. Older audiences will know and love most or all of the songs on the soundtrack, which include "I Want You Back", "Cherry Bomb", "Come and Get Your Love", and of course "Hooked on a Feeling", which was perfectly used in the film's promotions. The score by Tyler Bates complements the film's many action sequences, but audiences will love the soundtrack songs that evoke Quill's only connection with Earth.

But through all the fun, all the action, all the fantastic comedy, there are five reasons to see Guardians of the Galaxy: Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Groot, and Rocket Racoon. Pratt gives a star making performance, Bautista is my new favorite wrestler-turned-actor, Saldana is typically great in sci-fi, Diesel makes the best out of each of his limited character vocabulary, and Cooper steals the show as a talkative yet sensitive talking raccoon. It's an incredibly well-cast ensemble of featured characters that proves the Marvel brand doesn't have to be limited to Earth and the Avengers to tell an entertaining roller coaster of a story. 

I look forward to more Guardians of the Galaxy in the future, because I'm hooked on a feeling that these are the best "new" superheroes we've seen in a long time.