"Boy" (movie review)

Dir. Taika Waititi.

I was delighted when Alexander stated a preference for seeing this movie over Clash of the Titans.
Hopefully it didn't disappoint him - it was probably at least slightly counter to expectations...

It ran slightly counter to my expectations, for sure, though not in a bad way.

The trailer, and indeed some reviews, lead you to believe that Boy might be a zany comedy, with plenty of belly laughs.

It is not - though there are without doubt some wonderful moments of great humour.

No, this movie is a little more sophisticated than that, and through it run undercurrents of male (lack of) bonding, grief/loss, child neglect and rural violence.

There is, ultimately, hope and...potential!

The young lad who plays Boy, James Rolleston, is outstanding - he has a lot of potential!

Taika Waititi plays the role of Boy's absentee (suddenly turning up) Dad spot on, though I found his character less fully developed than Boy's.

The boy who plays Rocky, Boy's younger brother with "special powers" is also a delight to watch - in fact the quality of juvenile performances is cause for great hope in future NZ dramatic performances.

Soundtrack features original music by the Phoenix Foundation, old NZ songs from the 70s/80s, and a bit of Michael Jackson.

The scenery is stunning - I have a feeling that it would be possible to take a camera out to the East Cape, let it run, come back at the end of the day and find you have a hit movie on your hands.

My one reservation about Boy is that it could do with a bit more editing - the ideas could be a little more streamlined.

Nevertheless, this is a movie NZers will take to their hearts (many have already done so!) - maybe it will travel?

8/10