BOYHOOD, It's a Wonderful Film and it's Beyond Good

BOYHOOD captures the life of a young boy, Mason, Jr. (an unforgettable Ellar Coltrane) from 6-18 yrs. along with his family in under 3 hrs. of captivating film.  Dir./screenwriter Richard Linklater (After Sunrise) has achieved the extraordinary.  He captures the banalities of life and makes them blazon them on the screen.  Linklater's ambitious conceit to film Mason, Jr., his sister Samantha (Linlater's own daughter) mother Olivia (Rosanna Arguette) and her ex, father to Mason/Samantha, Mason (Ethan Hawke) is omnipotent movie making.  It causes you to reflect on your own experiences.  There is something/someone in the movie that we can all relate to in our lives.  Before heading to college, Coltrane talks of his recentheartbreak with Hawke.  "Believe me," Hawke says, "we've all been there."  Linklater created this masterpiece by filming the 4 main actors, annually for a 3-4 day shoot.  The passage of time flows seamlessly.  Coltrane is the emotional anchor of this family epic.  We see him morph from an angelic faced boy to a handsome adolescent about to spread his wings.  I was smitten with his artistic self-discovery and benign demeanor amidst turmoil.  Prominent events & technological advances are barometers of change as are hairstyles and facial hair.  We see the frumpiness of Arquette, & Hawkes facial wrinkles advance as Coltrane & Linklater take on the blossom of youth. Through Coltrane's eyes, we acknowledge shifting responsibilities, perspectives and priorities as well as the flotsam jetsam in our lives.  Life's unexpected but impactful moments are realized.  Music serves as a backtrack over the years.  Hawke compiles a track of Beatle's music for his son.  These poignant Beatles' lyrics best express the emotional impact of this remarkable film.  "There are places I remember, all my life.  Though some have changed.  Some forever, not for better.  Some have gone & some remain.  All these places have their moments."  A new friend at college tells Coltrane, "People say carpe diem but I think the moments seize us."  Oh blah di oh blah dah life goes on...