BOY (2010)

Written & Directed By: Takia Waititi 
Cinematography By: Adam Clark 
Editor: Chris Plummer 

Cast: James Rollerton, Takia Waitit, Moerangi Tihore, Cherilee Martin


It's 1984, and Michael Jackson is king-even in Waihau Bay, New Zealand. Here we meet Boy, an 11-year-old who lives on a farm with his gran, a goat, and his younger brother, Rocky (who thinks he has magic powers). Shortly after Gran leaves for a week, Boy's father, Alamein, appears out of the blue. Having imagined a heroic version of his father during his absence, Boy comes face to face with the real version-an incompetent hoodlum who has returned to find a bag of money he buried years before. This is where the goat enters.

Rough around the edges, but charming and inventive coming of age story that mixes surrealism, dead pan humor, and inventive fantasies that make way for harsh truths.

Director Takia Waititi was less than a week away from filming when he realized the boy he had as lead wasn't working out. Three days before filming began, James Rolleston, who was hanging around on set as an extra, was given the lead by Taika Waititi.

Even at it's worst the film had me invested. It constantly keeps a smile on your Face.

It just seems so simple, yet takes you away to it's own world that is familiar bit also alien to you as a degree. It gives you a nostalgia for childhood.

I like that the film let's kids act like kids. Nonsensical, but also with the main Characters being poor. They aren't desperate make their own fun ad don't wallow with a poor is me or desperate vibe.

If you are a child of the 80's floods back the memories of how big things and pop culture such as Michael Jackson was, he was not only a hero but also a style Demi-god to kids. it manages to say something deep while you are sitting back laughing and enjoying the film. It has a special place as the film Reminds you of what was popular and almost holy

While you know where the film is heading towards heartbreak and disappointment. You are still hoping for the best and enjoy this playful world that the children live in that still has have and fun in what looks like despair. As they are accustomed to it and really like the film has a make the best that you can out of what y have and a bad situation.

I liked everything about this movie. It really won me over. That while it has it's few problems, it felt totally seamless to me.

Maybe I am letting my emotions get In the way of analysis, but sometimes a film manages to do that for me and audiences. Maybe that was it's aim not to be classic or technically on point, but tell a heartwarming tale. Remind you when parents were mysteries and legends to you. Their advice made no sense but was mystical. Then in the next breath be total idiots. As you Got older that optimism started to go away as you lived life and the world wasn't necessarily fair as you get older. You, yearn for that one when danger looked like innocent fun.

This is definitely an improvement for me then the directors first film EAGLE VS. SHARK. As this one touched me more. One thing all his films contain is a certain sincerity and seem to exist as valentines to awkward oddballs

This is an excellent companion piece with SON OF RAMBOW though this film I enjoy a bit more. Not as big.

GRADE: A