Review of Boyhood (2014) by Darren M — 28 Dec 2015

12 years is not long enough to get over the disappointment I felt over what was built up to be a great film. These positive reviews by both critics and audience make me truly feel that I am on a different planet or that I have no valid place on this earth. To say that this is the most painfully boring film of all time is putting it mildly. Do not be fooled by these reviews. I am now seriously doubting the integrity of this website. It is possible RT "critics" are being compensated to give positive reviews, and then the sheople of the world fall for it because they are told a film is good, and they cannot think for themselves. I kept waiting for a single moving emotional moment in the three hours, but it never came. In fact, after the first 45 minutes, the "story" takes a criminally disastrous turn toward an absolute black void of nothingness. Each and every character has ZERO characteristics with ZERO development. If ever there is a film which has as its goal to have the WEAKEST characters ever developed, this would be the result. It should be a study of what never to do. I totally understand what RL was trying to do, and I declare it simply didn't work. He utterly failed at it, because there is not a single moment that with move the audience. All of the "one star" reviews here are absolutely correct and it can't be denied. The film has no plot or anything even remotely interesting. And it actually gets worse with each ticking minute.

And the ending is definitely the worst ending I've ever witnessed in my 50 years of movie going. What shocked me the most about this film is that I am a big fan of the trilogy of RL. Those films had riveting dialogue and intense character development and exchanges. The last hour of Before Midnight had one of the very greatest argument scenes ever created, followed by an emotionally powerful make up scene at the very end, all with exemplary acting. THIS film contains none of that, not even close. And the acting by the secondary teen cast was the very worst possible, particularly the girlfriend. I don't have anymore time to express my feelings about this film. Do not waste your time. Oh, and the whole 12 years time span was utterly wasted. One would think that the result of all that patience would yield something extraordinary. It was not the case. It yielded absolutely nothing; a film that should never ever have been shown to the public in its current state.

The only good thing about it: Ethan Hawke, a truly great actor who never disappoints. But he is given so little, as was I.