OSCARS 2019

I am always about two weeks late doing my Oscars post and I understand no one probably cares about the Oscars at this point, but no matter! Let’s revisit it! Welcome to Ticket Stub Love’s Mega Oscar Post!

As usual we will go over some of the best parts of the show, see how my predictions held up, and finish up with a red carpet segment. Moving into the show itself:

Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyree Henry presenting Best Costume Design

So we didn’t have a host this year and I can honestly say that it was…different. I was put off at first when we jumped right into the categories and commercial breaks without a segue from the host. It was a little weird. What the show did instead was have actors present and introduce the segments as usual. While it did make for a bit of an unmemorable show as there weren’t a ton of funny moments, I have to admit I really enjoyed the fast pacing. The show felt quicker, even though it still went over the three hour mark. If the Oscars were experimenting with a no host show, I think it succeeded and proved that a host is not really necessary, though having one helps liven things up.

There were some great winners from the night! I loved seeing Regina King and Spike Lee receiving long-deserved recognition for their work. Wins for Black Panther in Costume Design and Production Design proved to be historic with Ruth E. Carter and Hannah Beachler as the first African American women to win in their respective categories. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga electrified the crowd with a stunningly intimate performance of “Shallow”, which went on to win for Best Song.

Acting Winners: Rami Malek, Olivia Colman, Regina King, Mahershala Ali

Probably my biggest highlight was Olivia Colman’s shocking win! The vast majority predicted for Glenn Close to finally win an Oscar for The Wife after six previous nominations. While I do think it’s ridiculous for Close to go home empty-handed again, I can’t help but feel elated for Colman. The Favourite was one of my favorite (heh) films of the year mostly because of Colman’s amazing performance. She also truly deserved this recognition. Her shocked reaction is gold and her hilarious, adorable speech goes down as one of my all time favorites.

I wasn’t thrilled with some of the winners though. While I could appreciate Rami Malek’s win for Best Actor, the rest of Bohemian Rhapsody‘s (4!) wins were completely undeserving. You can see my thoughts on that film here. Green Book was another movie I had mixed feelings about and one that definitely should not have won Best Picture. That was a major step back for the Academy in my opinion.

Overall it was a pretty enjoyable show with some great moments! Be sure to check out my Twitter feed with more of my reactions from the night. Let’s move on to the winners and see how well my predictions held up (✓ if my prediction was right, ✗ if I was wrong).

Best Picture: Green Book ✗

Director: Alfonso Cuarón for Roma ✓ 

Actor in a Leading Role: Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody ✓ 

Actress in a Leading Role: Olivia Colman for The Favourite ✗

Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali for Green Book ✓ 

Actress in a Supporting Role: Regina King for If Beale Street Could Talk ✓ 

Original Screenplay: Green Book ✗

Adapted Screenplay: BlacKkKlansman ✓ 

Animated Feature Film: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ✓ 

Foreign Film: Roma ✓ 

Best Music (original song): “Shallow” from A Star is Born ✓ 

Music (original score): Black Panther ✗

Cinematography: Roma ✓ 

Costume Design: Black Panther ✓ 

Documentary Feature: Free Solo ✗

Film Editing: Bohemian Rhapsody ✗

Makeup and Hair styling: Vice ✓ 

Production Design: Black Panther ✓ 

Visual Effects: First Man ✗

Sound Mixing: Bohemian Rhapsody ✗

Sound Editing: Bohemian Rhapsody ✗

Short Film, live action: Skin ✓ 

Short Film, animated: Bao ✓ 

Documentary Short: Period. End of Sentence. ✗

I got a 14/24, which is probably the worst I’ve done in a while. Yikes. No matter, let’s move on to the red carpet!

BEST

Regina King in Oscar de la Renta

Constance Wu in custom Versace

Love this color! Breezy and beautiful

Glenn Close in Carolina Herrera

This truly is a dress you wear to win an Oscar in. Only the highest respect for Ms. Close.

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Jason Momoa in Fendi and Lisa Bonet in Fernando Jorge

This couple. These pink ensembles. That scrunchie. 

Michelle Yeoh in Elie Saab

Eleanor Young didn’t come to play

Ruth Carter

Costume royalty

 

NOT SO GOOD

Sarah Paulson in Brandon Maxwell

Kacey Musgraves in Giambattista Valli

Gemma Chan in Maison Valentino

Ok so it is a little weird that all my Not So Best picks ended up being pink 

 

Awards season is officially complete and another Oscars has come and gone. Thank you for tuning into Ticket Stub Love for all your award show coverage! It’s always so much fun watching the shows and doing these posts so a big shout out to our loyal readers. Congratulations to all the nominated films and actors! I already can’t wait for what this year will bring us.

 

red carpet pics from https://www.thecut.com/article/oscars-red-carpet-fashion.html

GOLDEN GLOBES 2019!!

Hey! Long time no see! First I want to apologize for my lack of content in 2018. To be honest, I got into a funk and really couldn’t bring myself to post that much. One of my goals for this new year is to get back into writing. Hopefully I can do more reviews and maybe even update the site a little bit. With award season starting up again, I knew I needed to do my usual coverage so this is great motivation. Thanks to those still reading!

Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh hosted the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards

The Golden Globes were this past Sunday and I’ve got to say, I was pretty surprised with many of the winners. It was an interesting show. Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh did an ok job as hosts; some jokes fell flat but their great personalities made up for it.

I live tweeted throughout the show so check out my twitter feed for some of my opinions and reactions. As per usual, I’ll highlight some winners and then move on to the red carpet segment at the end. My ballot was trash this year so I’m not going to share my mostly wrong predictions!

Some highlights:

• Best Motion Picture Drama: Bohemian Rhapsody…Honestly the last film I expected to win in this category
• Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical: Green Book…I was rooting for other films in this category too like Crazy Rich Asians and The Favourite
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama: Glenn Close for The Wife…She’s had such an amazing career and I hope this carries on to the Oscars (she’s been nominated 6 times!)
• Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron for Roma…Very well deserved, Roma is purely his magnum opus
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama: Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody…I was rooting for Bradley Cooper for A Star is Born (I feel bad for him, A Star is Born only got Best Song for “Shallow”)
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical: Christian Bale for Vice…Love that he thanked Satan for the inspiration
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical: Olivia Colman for The Favourite…Well deserved!
• Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Mahershala Ali for Green Book
• Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Regina King for If Beale Street Could Talk…So happy to see her getting the accolades she deserves
• Best TV Series Drama: The Americans
• Best TV Series Comedy: The Kominsky Method…I never even heard of it but ok
• Best Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for TV: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
• Best Actor in a TV Series Drama: Richard Madden for The Bodyguard
• Best Actress in a TV Series Drama: Sandra Oh for Killing Eve…Yes! She and her parents are so adorable
• Best Actor in a TV Series Comedy: Michael Douglas for The Kominsky Method
• Best Actress in a TV Series Comedy: Rachel Brosnahan for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel…Golden Globes doesn’t like to repeat winners so this caught me off guard

Check out the full list of winners here!

Moving on to the Red Carpet! Our special guest correspondent Amanda A has joined us again this year to give her favorite and least favorite picks!

Amy’s Choices

BEST

Regina King in custom Alberta Ferretti

Lupita Nyong’o in Calvin Klein by Appointment

Julia Roberts in Stella McCartney

I love the pants!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Constance Wu in custom Vera Wang

I actually didn’t like this dress when I first saw it, but it grew on me. I love the sash and she looks naturally pretty. 

Halle Berry in Zuhair Murad

Halle is always so fine.

WORST

Gina Rodriguez in Reem Acra

Anne Hathaway in Elie Saab

I just don’t like animal print.

 

Amanda’s Choices

BEST

Regina King in custom Alberta Ferretti

That color! That shine!

Danai Gurira in Rodarte

That color! That train!

Billy Porter in Randi Rahm

Business in the front, party in the back.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Gemma Chan in Valentino Haute Couture

Serious Astrid vibes.

Jamie Lee Curtis

I’m about to buy me some Activia if it’ll make me look that good.

Lady Gaga in custom Valentino Couture

Because her hair matched her dress and that takes effort.

WORST

Constance Wu in custom Vera Wang

The bottom half is nice but the top half doesn’t really match.

Darren Criss in Dior Men

He deserved to win but I’m not feeling the flowered jacket.

Julia Roberts in Stella McCartney

I was confused.

Thank you again to Amanda A for her red carpet correspondence. Hope everyone enjoyed the Golden Globes and make sure to check back for more award season coverage!

images from: https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/golden-globes-2019-fashion-red-carpet-arrivals

Oscar Predictions 2018

Happy Oscar Sunday! Before the best night of the year begins, here are my prediction’s for tonight’s winners

full list of nominees here

Best Picture: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ? (Possibly Get Out?)

The reason I have so many question marks is because this is one of the closest races for Best Picture that I have seen in years! There really is no clear front runner. While I would love to see The Shape of Water win big, it might be the safe choice. Three Billboards has had a good run this awards season, but Get Out might be the dark horse here. When I first saw Get Out in numerous predictions, I was baffled. The preferential ballot system would favor a Get Out win though, so the logic makes sense and honestly the film is well deserving.

Director: Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water

Actor in a Leading Role: Gary Oldman for The Darkest Hour

Actress in a Leading Role: Frances McDormand for Three Billboards

Actor in a Supporting Role: Sam Rockwell for Three Billboards

Actress in a Supporting Role: Allison Janney for I,Tonya

Original Screenplay: Get Out

Adapted Screenplay: Call Me by Your Name

Animated Feature Film: Coco

Foreign Film: A Fantastic Woman 

Best Music (original song): “Remember Me”, Coco

Music (original score): The Shape of Water

Cinematography: Blade Runner 2049

Costume Design: Phantom Thread

Documentary Feature: Faces Places

Film Editing: Dunkirk

Makeup and Hair styling:  Darkest Hour

Production Design: The Shape of Water

Visual Effects: War for the Planet of the Apes

Sound Mixing: Baby Driver

Sound Editing:  Dunkirk

Short Film, live action: The Silent Child

Short Film, animated:  Dear Basketball

Documentary Short: Heroin(e)

Make sure to tune in to the Oscars tonight at 8 pm EST on ABC! Red carpet coverage starts at 7 pm. Jimmy Kimmel is hosting again year (why), but it should be a good show with a lot of great winners. I will also be live tweeting so check out our Twitter page as well!

GOLDEN GLOBES 2017!!!

Yay awards season is finally here! First up we had the Golden Globes Sunday night hosted by Jimmy Fallon. The show as a whole was OK. There were not a lot of funny moments so to say, but more so memorable ones with some great winners and some amazing speeches (Meryl!!). Jimmy Fallon I thought was an alright host. I loved the opening La La Land inspired sequence but other than that and Questlove, he really did not bring anything new to the table.

Make sure to check out TSL’s live twitter feed from yesterday’s show for more of my reactions and opinions about the show!

Some highlights:

• Best Motion Picture Drama: Moonlight, I’m excited to see this film but I feel like it is being majorly swept under the rug.
• Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical: La La Land, the film swept the Globes with a record-breaking 7 wins.
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama: Isabelle Hupert for Elle, I was not expecting this!
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama: Casey Affleck for Manchester by the Sea
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical: Ryan Gosling for La La Land, yup I had a feeling it would go to either of the Ryans (the other being Ryan Reynolds for Deadpool).
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical: Emma Stone for La La Land, yup predicted that.
• Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Aaron Taylor-Johnson for Nocturnal Animals, I love him so I was really happy with his win! Though I think Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) might have been robbed.
• Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Viola Davis for Fences, one of the best wins of the night and her speech was great.
• Best TV Series Drama: The Crown, happy to say I predicted it!
• Best TV Series Comedy: Atlanta, did not see this one coming but I am so happy it won. It’s a great show!
• Best Actor in a TV Series Drama: Billy Bob Thornton for Goliath, yup predicted it.
• Best Actress in a TV Series Drama: Claire Foy for The Crown, yup predicted this one too!
• Best Actor in a TV Series Comedy: Donald Glover for Atlanta, another one of my favorite wins of the night! Love him!
• Best Actress in a TV Series Comedy: Tracee Ellis Ross for Black-ish, she made history as the first black woman to win in this category since Debbie Allen in 1983!
• Best Actor, Limited Series or Motion Picture for TV: Tom Hiddleston for The Night Manager, his speech was probably one of the low moments of night for me. It’s nice to talk about humanitarian work but not when it’s all about your show in the end.
• Best Actress, Limited Series or Motion Picture for TV: Sarah Paulson for The People v. OJ, yup predicted her!

Typing all this out is a lot of work so check out the full list of winners here.

Now onto my other favorite part of awards season: THE RED CARPET!

Joining us again this year with her red carpet picks is Amanda A!

Amy’s Choices

BEST

Lily Collins in Zuhair Murad

My favorite look of the night. I dream about this dress, I am obsessed with this dress. It is absolutely gorgeous!

Reese Witherspoon in Atelier Versace

 Love the light yellow color and elegant fit

Viola Davis in Michael Kors

YELLOWWWW, it’s bright and it’s a risk but Viola pulls it off exceptionally

Brie Larson in Rodarte

Classic and gorgeous Brie

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Emma Stone in Valentino Haute Couture

I thought the color was kind of drab on this one actually. The stars make up for it though.

Mandy Moore in Naeem Khan

Liked the cape and cut

THE WORST

Jessica Chastain in Prada

Was not a fan of the color, cut, or design at all

Zoe Saldana in Gucci Premiere

Get those ruffles out of here! Zoe Saldana’s looks are often hit or miss with me.

Nicole Kidman in Alexander McQueen

Those sleeves though..I’m not sure if the dress would be much better without them though.

Felicity Jones in Gucci

Sorry Amanda A, I know you like this dress but it just didn’t cut it for me. I like the black details the more I look at it, but the dress as a whole disappointed me.

Amanda’s Choices

Surprising number of great dresses on the carpet last night! It was extremely hard to narrow them down this time. Loved to see some of these ladies taking risks with their fashion choices that paid off. 

BEST

Viola Davis in Michael Kors

Tell me who else pulls off highlighter yellow like that? 

Felicity Jones in Gucci

This dress is getting a lot of undeserved hate, but I love the different colors and the detail. 

Emma Stone in Valentino Haute Couture

Such a pretty color on her and I love the stars! 

Issa Rae in Christian Siriano

She looked like a goddess! 

Lily Collins in Zuhair Murad

A perfect princess dress

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Brie Larson in Rodarte

A classic and elegant look

Ruth Negga in Louis Vuitton

So unique and she pulled it off.

Evan Rachel Wood in custom Altuzarra

The fit of this suit is amazing.

WORST

Jessica Biel in Elie Saab Haute Couture

A bit too low cut and she doesn’t have much to show for it.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Vera Wang

Was she trying to pay homage to Princess Leia? Idk

Jessica Chastain in Prada

Looked kinda like a bedspread. Not feeling the color, cut, or details 

Sofia Vergara in Zuhair Murad

Eh a bit much 

That’s the end of our Golden Globes coverage! Special thanks to Amanda A for her red carpet picks and to Asha A for watching the show with me again! We’ll be back for the SAG awards Saturday, January 29th.

images from: http://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/pictures/golden-globes-2017-red-carpet-fashion-what-the-stars-wore-w459648

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/08/entertainment/gallery/golden-globes-red-carpet-2017/

Catch-Up!!

Wow I am terrible, it has been almost three months since the last post! Wow, where did the time go? Well I actually was very busy for the past couple of months but my attention is now to you whatever few and faithful readers I may still have. One of the reasons I had a busy schedule was due to traveling as my family went to India for almost three weeks. Now anyone who has been on those cross the globe flights knows that the only real way to pass the insufferable hours is to watch movies and that is exactly what I did! So similar to last year’s catch up post after my trip to Barcelona, here are some short reviews of the movies I watched on the plane to and back.

Cinderella (2015: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter)

I loved Cinderella! It is a great movie for anyone to watch, classic Disney. Sure there were times when Cinderella’s goodness was almost sickeningly sweet but it was all made up for by the glorious Richard Madden as Prince Charming. He was fantastic and charming, (haha funny joke). However, I thought the best performance was hands down Cate Blanchett, who played the evil stepmother perfectly. Helena Bonham Carter was also a nice little pop of fun as the fairy godmother. Cinderella was very enjoyable.

 

Into the Woods (2014: Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt, Johnny Depp)

This was a very different turn after the traditional Cinderella as both films included the same character but in different lights. I thought the acting in Into the Woods was spot on, including of course Meryl Streep and also Chris Pine who was pretty hilarious at times. The movie itself was just eh to me. I realize the story is based upon the Broadway musical of the same name but the pacing felt off at times. This also is not exactly a movie for children which I think the marketing failed to highlight. Into the Woods was not really my favorite.

 

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine)

I have actually been meaning to watch Kingsman for a while so imagine my delight when seeing it among the plane films. It was a fun movie to watch and I loved the style and tone of it. I am a big James Bond fan so it had that kind of vibe going on at times. I was surprised by the actual reason behind Samuel L. Jackson’s master plan: the environment and population size (shout out to AP environmental students!). The film was definitely goofy at times and the violence/gore actually caught me off guard but only added to the fun in the end. Kingsman was chock full of spy action which I enjoyed!

 

 

American Sniper (2014: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller)

American Sniper is not really a film that one enjoys. It is more of a film that one just has to sit down and get through. I can say though that it was very well done though so props to Clint Eastwood for his direction and an impressive performance by Bradley Cooper.

 

 

Focus (2015: Will Smith, Margot Robbie)

Focus was more stylish than solid to me. It is a pretty movie on the surface but closer examination just leads to a very confusing and at times messy plot. The chemistry between Will Smith and Margot Robbie was very believable though. I think the movie just tried to be too smart and slick.

 

 

Cake (2014: Jennifer Aniston, Anna Kendrick, Sam Worthington, Adriana Barraza)

I was  deciding between Cake and Still Alice (which has Julianne Moore’s Oscar-winning performance) but I found myself to be more curious about Jennifer Aniston in Cake. I thought she did a fantastic job! The film definitely acted as a vehicle to show off her skills but for good reason since it seems she has not had this type of opportunity before. However the plot of Cake was very underdeveloped and was more about Jennifer Aniston overall.

The other two movies I watched on the plane were Mili (a Malayalam movie) and Happy New Year ( a Hindi movie), both of which were pretty good in my opinion, but this post is getting long and my fingers are tired of typing so we will save those for another time. Perhaps a foreign film post is needed to also cover the many movies I watched in India as well! Let’s get into the summer blockbusters now in the meantime!

 

 

Whiplash

 

I love this snow! Before you begin reading, please make sure to press play on the audio above. Trust me, the soundtrack for this next film will put you in the mood (the actual sound starts at 0:16). So another movie I decided to watch was Whiplash, which won 3 Academy Awards recently. Seriously, my heart is still pounding from this one!

Whiplash centers around a promising student jazz drummer (Miles Teller) who enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor (J.K. Simmons) who will stop at nothing to realize a student’s potential.

If you look at the poster above for Whiplash, you will see many different words that have been used to describe the film, all of which are so true. “Astounding” “Electrifiying” “Exhilerating” See, one of the things I love most about awards season, is that oftentimes it bring deserved praise and buzz to a film that might not have reached a great audience before. Whiplash, in my opinion, was fantastic.

What stands out most, besides from the great, great music involved, is the amazing performances. I am actually surprised Miles Teller did not receive more recognition for this role. He was incredible and put 100% into this role. Fun fact: he actually is a drummer and some of the blood that you see on the drum set in those intense scenes is actually his! However, the real breakout performance was J.K. Simmon’s. That man deserved every single award he won. He too put everything into this role and the result is incredible. I cannot even imagine being one of his students! His unconventional and hardcore teaching methods really make one wonder whether he is the ‘good guy’ or the ‘bad guy’. I myself am still unsure of this. The complicated and ever-changing relationship present between Andrew (Teller) and Fletcher (Simmons) produced some of the best acting performances in 2014.

Whiplash is one of the lowest-grossing movies to ever be nominated for an Academy Award, but do not be fooled. The sound, the story, the performances make it so hard to turn away. On the surface, the film may appear to be a simple student vs. teacher scenario, though there is much more. It is a film about reaching your potential but also determining your limits.

ALL IN ALL: Whiplash is an intense and thrilling film that delivers some of the best performances of the year.

image from: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wq6VXHpRL._SY355_.jpg

Birdman

So with all the snow coming down on the East Coast, these snow days have provided me the perfect opportunity to catch up on some of the most highly acclaimed films of 2014. First up on my list was Birdman, our recent Oscar Best Picture winner. Birdman was the film I was most curious about, mainly because I hardly knew anything about it. Oh buddy, this film so deserved Best Picture!

Birdman, directed by the awesome Alejandro González Iñárritu, follows a washed-up actor (Michael Keaton), famous for his role as superhero Birdman, as he attempts to salvage his family, his career, and himself in the days leading up to the opening of his Broadway play.

Probably my favorite part of Birdman, was the cinematography (which deservedly won an Oscar). Iñárritu is a genius and came up with the idea of making a film that appears to filmed in a single shot. The result is fantastic. It is unique and almost mesmerizing. The score that consists entirely of drums and classical pieces is at once iconic. The story is satirical and slick but so truthful. Have I used enough adjectives?

Michael Keaton. Oh my Michael Keaton. I cannot be one to fully judge, due to me still having not seen Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything, however I can say with great vindication that Keaton gave the best performance of the year (again, of what I have seen). HE KILLED IT! Savvy viewers will probably be quick to pick up on the parallels between him and his character Riggan, both of whom are very well-known for their past superhero roles (Batman and Birdman respectively). However, one simply forgets this when watching Keaton in this film. He battles with his ego, loses hope and regains it all in one swoop, hits rock bottom but somehow manages to fly again. The other performances were grand too most notably and surprisingly Edward Norton and Emma Stone, both of whom were very impressive.

I probably have not made much sense in this review, but then again neither does Birdman and that to me is what makes it great. It mixes fantasy with hard reality and I simply do not have very many words to describe it. I loved it and praise it wholeheartedly as a most deserving Best Picture winner.

ALL IN ALL: Birdman is a layered piece that mixes great cinematography and story into a film that is not so much a vehicle, but a showcase for the film’s many impressive performances.

image from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2562232/

Boyhood

Boyhood is the movie this awards season that has been getting tons of buzz since its release. Now a front runner for Best Picture, Boyhood has been lauded by many critics as a “masterpiece” and “the best movie of the year”. I’m sorry but was it really? It is just that I watched Boyhood and I did not feel as strongly about it as almost every other film critic.

Directed by Richard Linklater and shot over the course of 12 years with the same cast, Boyhood follows the life of a young boy, Mason (Ellar Coltrane), from ages 5 to 18. Depicting Mason’s adolescence, the film also focuses on his divorced parents (Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke) along with his sister (Lorelai Linklater).

The concept behind Boyhood is breathtaking in a way. 12 years, one boy, the audience literally gets to see him grow up before their own eyes. Yet, I have a feeling that this concept is the reason the film is sweeping the awards.

Boyhood does deserve some of the praise. It is amazing that they were able to accomplish such a unique and landmark film. The movie is like a time capsule. The only way to really distinguish the passing years other than the characters’ haircuts, was the cultural references. It was cool to hear the popular music of each year and have memories thrown at you of playing Oregon Trail in school and waiting for the Harry Potter books to be released. The film takes you back. However besides the 12 years concept and besides the nostalgia Boyhood brings, what else was there? There was no story. It merely scratched the surface of the characters, showing random and quick glimpses into their lives. By the end, the reel just kept going on and on. There was no connection or underlying point. Was that the point of the movie? That life is just a handful of memories and snapshots that bring some kind of significance but no real meaning. If so, then I missed the point of the movie.

Are film critics so caught up in the 12 year concept that they were either too astounded or afraid to badmouth any part of the movie? (Sorry for all the questions, I promise I’m done!) I was simply disappointed by the end. I found myself waiting, waiting for some kind of moment that would tie it all together. Perhaps some moment of appreciation between Mason and his mom (which by the way I feel should have been a relationship showcased more than that of him and his dad) or maybe one scene where the sister did not complain about something! I wanted to care about Mason, really connect to him and maybe I did in the beginning of his childhood but by the end, I was over him. He grew to be a moody artistic soul who simply drifted. The only character with some sort of development was Mason Sr, the father.

The acting in the film was fine and I thought Patricia Arquette gave a solid performance for her underrated character. Everything about Boyhood was pretty solid, except the story. Again, if that was the point then forgive me. However I was just unsatisfied at the end. Okay so I watched 2 1/2 hours of this boy coming of age, but somehow I feel like he did not grow at all.

ALL IN ALL: While the concept behind Boyhood is great and deserves praise, the film’s central premise and story does not deliver any satisfaction.