I remember stumbling upon an article a few years ago about a filmmaker attempting to create a coming of age movie, filming across 12 years as the young star in the movie grows up in real life, making it a more believable and realistic tale. Little did I know until last week the movie was actually “Boyhood.” Written and directed by Richard Linklater, famous for his critically acclaimed “Before” trilogy of movies, comprising of “Before Sunrise” (1995), “Before Sunset” (2004) and “Before Midnight” (2013), all of which I am yet to watch.

When initially spoken about this movie people tend to formulate an opinion on what else it brings to the table in terms of a movie or story rather than the gimmick of shooting over 12 years which is what all the hype surrounding it is about. I can safely say that it brings out one of this year’s best movies if not the best. The movie isn’t about formulating a story literally watching how this boy (Mason) comes to age and how he deals with his inner and outer demons.

Ellar Coltrane gives a profoundly amazing performance as Mason, making us the audience question if this is in fact a documentary or if the audience that’s us, are another member of the family living through each individual moment their going through as well. The film also stars Lorelei Linklater as Samantha, Mason’s elder sister. And Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke (Who also stars in director Linklater’s “Before” trilogy.) as their divorced parents. It’s astonishingly beautiful to watch all these characters grow physically and mentally through all their own obstacles and find peace with the audience by the end.

I can go on and on about this film’s scope and how even the footage and design look beautiful and very year appropriate because of its authenticity but this would end up being more of story rather than a review, so let me break the movie down to its elements.

The writing is solid, it’s honestly hard to say that the film had any sort of pre written lines instead of seeming as if we were actually taken through shots of a real family. And that is kind of the highest praise you can get. Linklater revealed that he did have a skeleton for the story about what these characters would go through in their life, but he did draw moments and inspiration from the lives of the child actors themselves to fuel the movie with more realism and honesty.

The soundtrack is intelligent and brilliant. The placements of the songs are smart taking them through the years in their lives and keeping us in check. It’s amazing how perfect the tracks are to the moments within the movie. Throughout this journey of a movie you will hear the likes of, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Tweedy, Family of the Year and many, many more.  The one track that stands out for me is “Hero” by Family of the Year, played close to the end of the movie and in its trailer. The song beautifully captures the essence of Mason and his journey.

Boyhood ends with Mason leaving to college, which makes him just a few years younger than I am, and I easily connected with the character and made connections to my past with the things he goes through in terms of life, family, relationships and personal growth. That is the quality of a masterpiece of a movie and that is exactly what Boyhood is. It is my favourite movie of the year.

The movie has a 2h 45min runtime that feels like a breeze when watching. And it’s one of those movies that all of us have to experience at least once in life.  The movie ends saying that the moments in life are constant, and that the moments seize us and not the other way around. Which I couldn’t have said any better. So do watch the movie, and let it in. Seize the moment.

I give this movie a 9 out of 10 on the AasifOmeter.

Reviewed by Aasif Faiz