QuoteFor Boy, the most important things in life are Michael Jackson, an older girl with an asymmetrical ponytail, and Alamein, his absent father. He wants all these things, but being just 10 years old and stuck in rural New Zealand, he has none. Boy is a story of yearning and dreaming viewed through the prism of 1984 and is a uniquely sweet and funny drama-cum-comedy.
At its core, Boy continues a long tradition of father-son films. It's a wide-ranging genre: We've had Luke Skywalker killing his cyborg dad and reconciling with his kindly ghost. Marty Mcfly went Back to the Future and stopped his dad from being such a jittery douche. In the Mosquito Coast, a confused and admiring son follows his brilliant but mule-headed father (a first-rate performance from Harrison Ford) to fatal extremes. In all these films, the son wants to idolise the father, to seek him out as an anchor in the choppy waters of childhood, but it's not always possible.
While we may desire an Atticus Finch, it's more likely we'll end up with Homer Simpson. In these cases, you've no choice but to run away (The Shining<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->) or build him a baseball field (Field of Dreams). Failing that, just stab him with a light-saber. Yes-siree, it's a rich cinematic vein and Waitita's 'dramedy' offers a fresh but slightly awkward and dysfunctional take on it.
Boy entertains himself with absurd fantasies of his father escaping from jail utilising biros and forks with the deadly dexterity of a ninja. He envisages his return will be marked by a move to the big smoke (presumably Auckland), endless MJ concerts and relaxation at their Mansion's pool, either drinking cocktails in tuxedos or riding dolphins (also in tuxedos). Basically as far away from the rundown shack he shares with a small army of cousins as he can imagine.
Inevitably his father does return and Boy is entranced. Abandoning his sensitive little brother, Rocky, he becomes his father's shadow, emulating him in an effort to win his affections. But as Boy's eyes grow accustomed to the glow emanating from his father, he realises that what was seemingly perfect is instead deeply flawed. His father is a buffoon; an egotistical, small-minded crim stuck in a rut and full of demons and delusions of grandeur. As Boy's fantasy is reconciled with reality, the film takes a darker turn and the violence of this fractured family is less glossed over by director Taika Waititi (better known for his lighter touch on Flight of the Conchords and Eagle vs Shark).
<!--[endif]--> Boy a welcome return to the mood and feel of Waititi's oscar-nominated film Two Cars, One Night, which explored the friendship of two kids waiting in parked cars for their parents to get out the pub. I greatly enjoyed Eagle vs Shark but empathised with those who found its relentlessly quirky story and characters irritating. The more rounded approach is probably a slight nod to those who demanded it. But it doesn't entirely work.
The film is so weighed down by pop-cultural in-jokes and quirky conceits that when it demands to be taken more seriously it just doesn't feel like it has earnt it. It's a shunting train and the tone clomps out of beat like shoes in a dryer. This is because the eighties referential humour and stream of Michael Jackson jokes alienates slightly from the later, highly charged emotional content of the film. There is a flippancy here that Boy can't seem to shake off. Where humour is meant to elicit pathos, it comes off as a little facetious. Which is a shame, as there is a very sad and authentic story of family dysfunction, love and loneliness here.
Boy has been a massive hit in New Zealand. While that may be like saying Dr Pepper is the number one drink in the Canary Islands, it does reflect the success Boy has had resonating in its origin community, which is perhaps indicative of its authenticity. While it's possible to quibble with the slightly jarring mood, overall this is a memorable and highly enjoyable film. The cohort of children is fantastic and unaffected by the child-actor-syndrome we see in so many American films. The narrative arc is satisfying and Waititi, who plays the dead-beat dad, brings a lot of waggish humour and enough depth to the role. It's an inventive and surprising comedy, full of playful nostalgia that resonates close to home, but ultimately tries to be a bit too grown up when it should just enjoy being a boy.
