Boy

Beautiful, funny at times, never maudlin, coming of age for the children and adults in the film. Shot in a small town that is genuinely the town that the author/actor (father) actually grew up in. He spoke after our screening, and it was a 30 kid school house, which it still is. Actually the film is a huge success in NZ and the little community gets a small percentage of the gross, so the community is benefiting from this film.

The film captures a time and place in history and culture. It is slow and yet the story develops and covers a lot of ground. What I especially loved is that the camera doesn't jump around like Hollywood movies, changing every 5 seconds. It stays with the character.

Put on your list!

I had been told how funny this movie was, and there are quite a few chuckles in the first 20 minutes or so, and then it buckles down to show us the real story of pre-pubescence in a rural community and the father-son thing. It was explored in depth and very well too, and never gets nasty as some NZ movies can do, but still wrings your heart out. The end-piece was stunning, utilising the obsession with a teenage Michael Jackson and humour as only the NZ Maori do. I left the theatre with mixed feelings but since then I have felt buoyed up (sorry) and am remembering it fondly. Will definitely see it again and may add it to my small collection of NZ films. Others have mentioned Eagle and Shark and Secondhand Wedding, but this is more historical and captures the era perfectly. Well done all - especially to all the actors under 20, we know the adults can act, but these fellas will be worth watching out for in the future.

This is simply one of the best New Zealand movies made in any century. The story is a richly charactered, well researched, emotionally powerful, and hugely entertaining blend of culture, comedy, music, and drama. I absolutely take my hat off(not that I usually wear one) to Taika Cohen and his crew, they have delivered one of the best films of this year, and that being from all countries. The story is well documented by other users so I won't bore you with the details of that, but for me the main talking point of this film is the exquisite performances of the two lead children. While James Rolleston as Boy has a very vocal part in the film his delivery, range of emotions, and expressions are so important to the film's success, and he pulls this off with such ease, and is such a joy to watch. His fragile brother Rocky, played by Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu, turns in to be what I consider one of the best and most emotionally powerful performances from a child in any film I have seen. His role is largely speechless(though he certainly has a share of words to deliver) yet he is able to convey what his character is thinking and feeling through facial expressions, and almost in a sense through his eyes. I cannot recommend this film enough, we went to see it two days ago and I am still smiling from the memory of this great film. The incorporation of Michael Jackson tributes into the film could have been hard to pull off in some movies, yet here Cohen blends these in to the mix with great effect, in particular the final scene which simply has to seen to be fully appreciated. The comedy elements have universal appeal, and are well dispersed throughout the film.

Just go see it when you are able, as simple as that. Brilliant...........

"Boy" is a light, feel-good movie about a boy who was called Boy (James Rolleston). He told fanciful stories, otherwise known as lies, about himself and his father, Alamein (Taika Waititi). The movie takes place in 1984 when Michael Jackson was at his peak fame, and Boy was his number one fan (at least in New Zealand). When his father came home from prison to search for his hidden loot, Boy wanted nothing more than to hang out with him. Alamein hadn't matured at all in prison, and he returned as a terrible influence on his son.

"Boy" is funny and easy to watch. There are very few adults in the film which allows you to experience life in New Zealand through the eyes of the indigenous children. Boy is an especially interesting character which makes the entire movie interesting.

AMC+ channel on Amazon Prime.

Set on the east coast of New Zealand in 1984, Boy, an 11-year-old kid and devout Michael Jackson fan, gets a chance to know his father, who has returned to find a bag of money he buried years ago.

This is the rise of Taika Waititi in all his glory. Whole "Eagle vs Shark" is a fun, offbeat, quirky romance, and is often compared (both favorably and unfavorably) to "Napoleon Dynamite", it falls short just a bit. It is with "Boy" that we see the greatness Waititi is capable of and would continue with such films as "What We Do in the Shadows" and "Hunt for the Wilderpeople".

Exactly how they got away with so much Michael Jackson is beyond me. But I suppose if you don't use the music and just focus on the imagery, you can pass it off as a loving homage or satire. Heck, if I was Jackson, i would have been flattered.