The premise of this movie is very simple. Boyhood took shape in 2002 and tells the story of the life of a young boy named Mason. Mason (Ellar Coltrane) lives with his older sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater) and her single-mother mother, Olivia (Patricia Arquette). Every weekend, Mason and Samantha will be invited to spend the weekend with their biological father, Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke). Then we will be led to the development of Mason (and the people around him) until he is 18 years old.
In Boyhood we see how Masons grow into adults. First misbehavior, pornographic films, drugs, cigarettes, bullying, first girlfriends, times of confusion, then break up dating. All the actual conflicts that occur in a teenager. We also see how Mason hesitates in digesting all the events he has undergone to become an ideal adult.
Although without a main plot, this movie is very interesting, without any scenes that are hyperbole. There is no jreng-jreng music lebai, and it fits perfectly with the honest and sincere film atmosphere. Camera placement is also not excessive, as if the camera happened to be there and catch the events that are happening. Instead of making one major climax, Linklater gives us significant little things about Mason's development. I myself feel I'm not an audience but an observer of the lives of the characters.
The acting of the actors is also very impressive. Whether because of its nature or indeed the role demands, Coltrane who plays as a Mason who tends to ignore and reluctantly precisely in accordance with the film and make it interesting. What impressed me the most was Hawke's acting as Mason's father who tried to be not-typical-weekend-dad, and Arquette as Mason's mother with his own conflict. Everything feels real and very enticing. I was brought into this family life. Linklater is very good at choosing a consistent cast for this 12-year film project.
During the 3 hours of films, Linklater successfully summarizes the 12 years of a boy's life into adulthood. I feel nostalgic about my own adolescence. How the times of the mood in the search for identity became mature. IMO, this film is not about Mason alone, but a reflection of our own adolescence. This is my favorite movie from Linklater director, after the Before trilogy.