Crafted with sincerity, told with affection & exuding an honesty in its emotions, Boy makes for a light & resonant coming-of-age drama and follows an 11-year old Maori kid growing up in a small Kiwi town with his family during the 1980s whose fanciful version of his absentee father gets a reality check when his old man shows up on their doorstep out of the blue one day.
Written & directed by Taika Waititi, there is a childlike simplicity in its narration with warmth & sweetness perforating through the images as we get acquainted with our protagonist. Waititi juggles drama with comedy & heart with humour in his own unique, quirky & stirring ways and the authenticity shines through, for the characters are believable & their arcs exhibit welcome depth.
The story is as much about the small-town community as it is about the father-son dynamic, all portrayed from our protagonist's perspective. And while it touches on few serious themes, Waititi makes sure the film never loses its adolescent, offbeat touch. The imagery has a raw, unrefined feel to it and the pacing is also slower than necessary but James Rolleston's input still keeps us invested till the end.
Overall, Boy is a warm, whimsical & wonderful indie with a beating heart that's brought to life with care & intimacy and promises an experience that's amusing, heartfelt & bittersweet. It is achingly human in its approach, packs an emotional wallop and even ends on an apt note yet for some reason, Taika Waititi's breakthrough feature didn't leave me as dazzled or delighted as all his subsequent films effortlessly managed to. Worth a shot anyway.
Written & directed by Taika Waititi, there is a childlike simplicity in its narration with warmth & sweetness perforating through the images as we get acquainted with our protagonist. Waititi juggles drama with comedy & heart with humour in his own unique, quirky & stirring ways and the authenticity shines through, for the characters are believable & their arcs exhibit welcome depth.
The story is as much about the small-town community as it is about the father-son dynamic, all portrayed from our protagonist's perspective. And while it touches on few serious themes, Waititi makes sure the film never loses its adolescent, offbeat touch. The imagery has a raw, unrefined feel to it and the pacing is also slower than necessary but James Rolleston's input still keeps us invested till the end.
Overall, Boy is a warm, whimsical & wonderful indie with a beating heart that's brought to life with care & intimacy and promises an experience that's amusing, heartfelt & bittersweet. It is achingly human in its approach, packs an emotional wallop and even ends on an apt note yet for some reason, Taika Waititi's breakthrough feature didn't leave me as dazzled or delighted as all his subsequent films effortlessly managed to. Worth a shot anyway.