Boy

Boy (2010) – Movie Review

Director: Taika Waititi (Dir: Flight Of The Conchords, Eagle vs Shark)

Screenwriter: Taika Waititi

Producer: Cliff Curtis (Actor: Uncle Bully in Once were Warriors, Amir in Three Kings)

Studio: New Zealand Film Commission

Production Companies: Unison Films, Whenua Films

Top Billed Cast: James Rolleston, Taika Waititi, Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu

LOGLINE: 1984. When Boy's dad rolls back into town after a stint in the joint and who knows what else, the two Maori men struggle to find a rhythm as they search for hidden money, party and hang out with their upstart bikey gang.

VIEWING CIRCUMSTANCES: At home in the loungeroom with my wife as part of our unofficial kiwi film fest in honour of the RWC in NZ this month.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Boy oh boy what a great film (pun totally intended). Just the right mix of quirk, drama, comedy and culture (both pop culture and Maori culture).

STORY: All though I've only given Boy a 1/2 a reel of film extra than my rating of Eagle vs Shark, writer/director Taika Waititi's previous effort (that I watched after this film by reviewed before [i'm playing catch up]), this is a vast improvement and a really classy flick.

PRODUCTION: cool. slightly more slickerer (that's totally a word) editing and higher production value than Eagle and some inventive shots and sequences. 

I love the way he mixes and weaves multiple, unrelated pieces of pop culture into to style of the film, similar to how Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge is a Bollywoodesque modern western rock musical set in Pari, in, made Australia or Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs The World, which mixes comic book, music video and video game cultures.

Michael Jackson + Haka = Fully Sick!

PERFORMANCE: The Boy in Boy is great. These kiwi kid actors are amazing. (Don't forget Melanie Lynskey of Two Half Men and Anna Paquin of X-Men fame both started as kiwi kid actors and the girl in Whale Rider was amazing. They should release a double feature DVD or even big screen screening of Whale Rider and Boy and call it "boy and girl".)


The auteur (writer/director) Taika is awesome as the dad.

OVERALL: Watch this space - Taika co-wrote and directed Eagle vs Shark, 10 episodes of Flight of the Conchords and now this little gem, more good things to come I'm sure!

MEETSLINE: Baadasssss! meets Whale Rider

FAVOURITE QUOTE: "Maori Smurf"

"Teacher: Now, who knows what disease this sheep has? 

Kingi: AIDS?
Teacher: Not AIDS, you dork!"


"Boy: So what you guys been up to?
Dallas: We are self employed now
Boy: What's your job?
Dallas: Chucking mud at those cows"


"Mr. Langston: People call me a dumb honky all the time. I don't go round punching them.
Boy: Why not?
Mr. Langston: Because they're usually children."

RECOMMENDED ACCOMPANIMENT: Ice block, "pipeweed", beer or 'real milk'

LINKS:

RATING:

4 1/2 out of 5 reels of film.

 Movie Review by A.B. McBlogsmith the Backwards Cap Film Reviewer

(C) Review Flix 2011