Alfred Hitchcock is a name all fans of film learn about sooner or later. He is the most famous British director and has inspired many directors after him.
In this Kent Jones-directed documentary, a selection of some of the best film directors of today talk about how much Hitchcock influenced their own work. Particularly what they learned of Hitchcock’s approach to filmmaking in French director Francoise Truffaut’s 1966 publication, Cinema According to Hitchcock.
Martin Scorsese, David Fincher and Wes Anderson are three of the directors who share their experience in Hitchcock/Truffaut. I look forward to being enlightened.
If you aren’t sure what Richard Linklater’s Oscar-winning film is about, it’s all in the title. To clarify, the audience is invited to witness the life of an American family over 12 years and through the eyes of a young boy.
The story begins from childhood and continues to the point said boy, Mason – played by Ellar Coltrane, becomes a college student. Unsurprisingly, the film is nearly 3 hours long. The only time the length bothered me was within the first 30 minutes – the point after which things did become more interesting.
As a result of the movie being filmed over the extended period of 12 years and with the same actors, the technical and narrative achievement is notable. Additionally, the profound sense of realism – the kind not often found on screen is one of the key reasons Boyhood is quite celebrated.
What is also refreshing about Linklater’s movie and style is the nuanced performances. There is no over explanation of everything. The audience is trusted to think and reach their own conclusions.
What I enjoyed most about Boyhood is the relationship the two main siblings have with their parents, particularly Mason’s interactions with his father (Ethan Hawke). The conversations they have and the father’s responses are for me, exactly the kind of thing one would hope for.
Watch it because even though the title is Boyhood, the film also has something to say about motherhood, fatherhood, family and life in general.
The Movie My Life 