Boy

Boy is a simple but emotionally powerful story about growing up, relationships, following your head over your heart and drawing the line between right and wrong. It's easily one of the best New Zealand films ever made. It's Rich characters and humorous dialogue, entailed by the occasional light-hearted hand drawn animations delivered a hugely entertaining blend of culture, comedy and drama.

The story started on a perfect note with Boy played by James Rolleston giving his show and tell speech in the classroom. It introduced the character, his background and set the atmosphere, mood and setting all in one go without being a dull lead up. Taika Waititi (who also plays the dead beat father) did an amazing job in setting out each detailed scene with the occasional Michael Jackson tributes giving the film an even disperse of light-hearted laughs at the same time appropriately moving the plot along.

The film gave a heart aching recount on every boy's natural instinct to worship their father, whether they deserve it or not. The growth and resilience of each character portrayed superbly by every single actor from the child stars to the minor adult characters was a pleasure to watch. It still brings a smile to my face today. Pure brilliance...

http://musingsandmorsels.weebly.com/film.html

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...........

I'll start, unfairly perhaps for any new movie, by comparing it with thoughts that other NZ movies have left me with - only to explain how it left me feeling. I am smiling as I recall the movie and type this. A good sign! So, Eagle v Shark's quirkiness. Whale Rider's pathos & culture. Bro Town's language skills (who'd have thought "Egg" would be so eloquent a derogatory remark!) Second Hand Wedding's humanity, commentary on relationships & our overall resilience. Good things will happen. Every Boy's natural instinct to worship their father - irrespective of whether he's earned it or not - is shown against the halcyon backdrop of an east coast life in Godzone. I laughed out loud at Rockys apology for abuse of his special powers to knock an old fella over. I ached when Boy's Dad returned and the interactions between them - the hero worship meeting with reality; a coming of age. Taika's now customary expansion of characters was excellent - flawed, bravado filled fragile wee worlds we all build up. I have not served Boy adequately in this random review - its an amazing film. 9/10. Made me feel happy & glad to be alive and living in NZ.