Boy

One of the reasons I like small indie films is that every now and then you come across a real gem. Taika Waititi's film, Boy, definitely qualifies. Set in 1984 in New Zealand, Boy is a coming-of-age comedy drama about an 11-year-old Maori boy - nicknamed Boy (winningly played by James Rolleston) - who worships pop star Michael Jackson and lives, along with a younger brother, an indeterminate number of cousins and a pet goat, with his grandmother in a rural Maori community on the coast. All of the kids lack parents, in Boy's case because his mother died giving birth to his younger brother and because his father hasn't been around for years, a condition for which Boy makes up elaborate fantasies, which the film reveals in the opening scene were Boy is giving a prepared talk to his class at school: "Kia ora. My name is Boy, and welcome to my interesting world. My favorite person is Michael Jackson. He is the best singer and dancer in the world. My favorite subjects are art, social studies and Michael Jackson. I have a six-year-old brother called Rocky. He's got powers. I'm named after my dad. He can dance as good as Michael Jackson. He's a master carver, deep sea treasure diver, soldier, captain of the rugby team and he holds the record for punching out the most number of people with one hand. My dad isn't here right now. He's a busy man. When he comes home he's taking me to see Michael Jackson - live. The end."The reality of Boy's situation however quickly becomes clear when a classmate named Kingi taunts him after his talk:Kingi: "You're a liar. Your dad's not overseas; he's in jail for robbery."Boy: "Shut up Kingi! You don't know!"Kingi: "Yes, he's in the same cell block as my dad."Most of Boy's life consists of helping his grandmother look after the younger kids, hanging out with his friends, and trying to impress an aloof older girl named Chardonnay (RickyLee Waipuka-Russell) on whom he has an impossible crush in spite of the fact that she's a teenager and towers over him by almost a foot. He's so fixated on Chardonnay that he's completely oblivious to Dynasty (Moerangi Tihore) a pretty but quiet girl closer to his own age who wistfully keeps hoping he'll notice her, at one point showing him a hidden grove of pot plants that belong to her uncle, who happens to be the biggest pot dealer in the area. (Note: Dynasty's name is apparently due to the pervasiveness of American pop culture of the time as she has a brother named Dallas and a sister named Falcon Crest).When his grandmother (Mavis Paenga) suddenly has to leave for a funeral across the country and leaves him in charge for a week, no one is more surprised than Boy when his dad - Alamein (Taika Waititi) - suddenly shows up one night along with two low-life cohorts he claims are his gang. Boy is delighted. His younger brother Rocky (Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu) however is wary - Alamein is a complete stranger to him, having been absent his entire life.Recently released from prison, Alamein says he's there to reconnect with his sons and spend some quality time with them. The reality though is that he's there to retrieve the money from the robbery he was in prison for, money that he buried in a field before getting caught. The problem is that he can't remember just where he buried it, having been seriously stoned at the time. It quickly becomes clear that in spite of his efforts to portray himself as a serious gangster, Alamein is instead as incompetent at being a criminal as he is at everything else, including being a father - at one point he tells Boy "Can you stop calling me `dad'? It sounds weird." It takes time, however, for this reality to penetrate Boy's continued fantasies, which the film frequently plays with by showing scenes with Boy repeatedly imagining Alamein in Michael Jackson videos. But as the facade is gradually worn away by his father's pathetic bumbling and self-absorbed irresponsibility, Boy finds himself having to choose between falling into his father's lifestyle of directionless denial or taking responsibility.While the film is serious at times, given the nature of the themes involved, Waititi imbues it with a lot of unique humor, particularly in the idiosyncratic dialogue that gives flesh to the laid-back culture of Boy's rural Maori world, like in this typical exchange when Boy runs into some of his friends in a pasture:Boy: "So what you guys been up to?"Dallas: "We're self employed now."Boy: "What's your job?"Dallas: "Chucking mud at those cows."While most of the actors in Boy are first-timers, Waititi did an exceptional job in selecting them and as a group they give very natural performances that don't feel affected at all. James Rolleston is highly engaging as Boy and his performance takes you in completely as he goes from a kid who goes from hero-worshipping a father he cannot remember to coming to grips with the harsh disappointment of just how far short of his idyllic fantasies his father falls. You can see the conflict rising in him as he teeters on the edge of becoming just like his father even as he's realizing just how little that really means. Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu's Rocky is equally engaging, a shy introvert to Boy's motor-mouthed extrovert. Like Boy, Rocky has an equally creative imagination, but while Boy's fantasies are centered around his father and the way he wishes the man to be, Rocky directs his inward, imagining himself to have mental powers that give him some control over a world where in fact he has no control. Their differences are brought out in other ways, as in a scene where we find that Rocky regularly spends time at his mother's grave, openly missing what he has never known, while Boy cannot bring himself to even open the gate to the graveyard, a characteristic we later see that he shares with his father - the tendency to shy away from the harsher realities of life. Another nice touch is the subtle ways in which, as Boy is starting to back away from their father, Rocky is starting to move closer, seeing the damaged man their father is and trying to use his imagined powers to fix him. And Taika Waititi's Allamein is a deft performance in its own right, finding just the right balance to make the man likeable and sympathetic while at the same time showing his pathetic weakness, revealing him to be a man who never really grew up and who has no idea of what it means to be responsible, let alone to be a father. And Moerangi Tihore's Dynasty is marvelously expressive in a quiet way, never really giving voice to her thoughts but you know exactly what she's feeling from her eyes - wistful as Boy gives a sparkler to Chardonnay who only seems bored by it; hurt and betrayed when she catches Boy showing Alamein and his cohorts where her uncle's secret pot grove is hidden. She doesn't have to say a word - Boy's guilty reaction shows that he knows from her eyes what he's done.A couple of minor notes. Taika Waititi, a relatively new director, is best known for his first indie film, Eagle vs Shark, another off-beat comedy that's become something of a cult film. Boy was actually released in 2010, and although it turned out to be a hit and ultimately became the highest grossing film in New Zealand, it is only now making its way to the US. It may be hard to find, but it's definitely worth the effort.And one other thing definitely worth mentioning is this fantastic and completely unexpected dance number that comes up at the end with all of the cast doing a traditional Maori haka dance mashed up with Michael Jackson's Thriller. While it has nothing to do with the plot, it brings all of the elements of the movie together and is enormously fun to watch. I looked it up and found it available on youtube if you want to check it out.Highly recommended for anyone who likes coming of age movies, small indie films or just plain enjoyable films in general.

Boy is such a hilarious and raw movie, and I really wish more people new about this beautiful film.

Boy was Taika Waititi’s second film focusing upon a coming of age story featuring James Rolleston as Boy. He’s faced with his dad, Waititi, returning from prison who is no father because he’s a manchild. Boy however idolizes him. That’s the dilemma of the film how can Waititi raise Boy?I liked the comedic moments such as when Boy makes up a story about his dad escaping from jail using a spoon. Plus you’ve gotta see the Maori version of Thriller at the end.There are real struggles as well such as Boy having to take care of all his siblings on his own and then neglecting them.Rolleston and Waiti’s performances are top notch. The story goes through highs and lows and is very heartwarming. It also features Maori life in New Zealand something not many people know about.

Good movie.

I love Taika. This movie is awesome. I wish I watched this before his other movies because there are definitely references from this one in his newer ones.It’s heartfelt and clever.

Boy is a lovely film, and I think it's true charm lies not just in the hilarious and heartbreaking story, but in the two amazing lead child actors, James Rolleston and Te Aho Eketon-Whitu. I really loved how these two kids, and all the children who were in this film, were able to shine as they actually acted like children. I grew up in an area and situation similar to the area and plot and it's so refreshing to watch a movie and feel like it was made just for me.Quirky is a pretty easy label to use for Taika Waititi's work but I think he just writes the stories he wants to writes and directs his movies the way he wants to direct them, and his sincerity and love for his characters is visible and what makes his movies so enjoyable. There is one beautiful scene towards the end of the film which has an almost Wes Anderson sensibility complete with roller skates and a firecracker, but the emotional resonance of a child's innocent confession, apologizing for the death of his mother, makes it more than just a nice scene to look at it.I probably made this sound more somber than it actually is, because it's actually a very fun movie to watch. It's hilarious, it's beautifully shot, it has a very nice soundtrack and I'm so happy a film like this exists :-)

Many reviewers complain of inability to understand the Kiwis depicted in this film. Did they lack closed caption subtitles now available with Prime?The film is quirky. The hero, Boy, is an 11-year-old in charge of an assortment of children, some quite young. With the exception of Rocky, a younger brother, their identity is unclear. One might assume, however, that they are the offspring of an aunt who manages the neighborhood general store.The house belongs to their grandmother, but she is absent for the duration of the film. Nothing indicates that the aunt is involved, but, her possible assistance aside, Boy is left to in charge. His father soon shows up with a couple of friends, after being jailed for most, if not all, of Rocky's life. The (arguable) adults move into the garage but offer no help. Rather, it's like more kids have joined the brood.There are amusing scenes, but it's a stretch to call this a comedy. For example, because their mother died during his birth some eight years earlier, Rocky feels responsible. Indeed, compounding the tragedy of her death, he believes that he killed her. I fail to see any humor in that. Nor do I see any when the two boys must drag his pet goat home for burial after the father's car strikes and kills it.Viewing scenes often disjointed and frequently boring, I was repeatedly tempted to stop watching. Despite focus on an atypical family, I continued, however, hoping to learn something about Maori life. Yet, having made it to the end, I'm skeptical that much was accomplished along those lines.

A gorgeous journey of a film. The characters all resonate as utterly believable, with the children and grandmother (though she barely features her steady presence lingers and protects) being the saving graces of a dislocated, listless world where adolescance, the desire to be someone, to be loved and to make a mark somehow keep meeting the frustrations and blank faced stare of reality.There is so much sweetness in the bitter sting of these experiences, the dissolute father is the biggest kid of all, he's perfectly cast and portrayed. Overall it feels a wonderful portrait of a real time, place and community.

Amazing New Zealand indie coming-of-age tale from the director of Hunt For The Wilderpeople. One of my favourite films of all time. Highly recommended. Wish there was a Blu-Ray, but DVD quality was fine although there were no subtitles or special features (besides a trailer). I implore you to see this!

I'd call this a drama with a lot of humour in it, rather than a straight-forward comedy, The main theme is the transition from the young child's view of their father being the best dad in the world to the more disillusioned view of a teenager. It also captured what it's like when a child loses their mother at a very young age well - speaking from unfortunate personal experience.Brilliantly observed writing and the kids are superbly directed so it didn't feel like they were acting.

Love this film. Am a big fan of Taika Watiti and would highly recommend this film to anyone. Very pleased.

This is a joyful and very funny film. It's also very different from the Hollywood major release films. I'm very glad I bought it and I know that I'll be able to watch it several times and still feel the joy and perhaps even see something more each time.