Director: Taika Waititi
Writer: Taika Waititi (Screenplay)
Starring: James Rolleston, Te Aho Eketone-Whitu, Taika Waititit, Morangi Tihore, Cherilee Martin
Plot: Set on the east coast of New Zealand in 1984, Boy, an 11-year-old child and devout Michael Jackson fan, gets a chance to know his absentee criminal father, who has returned to find a bag of money he buried years ago.
Runtime: 1 Hour 27 Minutes
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Delightful Bundle of Joy
Story: Boy starts as we meet Boy (Rolleston) in 1984 he will be telling the story to us, he is 11-years-old living with his grandmother and little brother Rocky (Eketone-Whitu) who have been waiting for their father Alamein (Waititi) to come back. Boy loves Michael Jackson and wants nothing more than to see him live with his dad, once his dad returns he sees a light come into his life, but just how long will he stick around.
Thoughts on Boy
Characters – Boy is an 11-year-old boy that has been living with his grandmother and is the eldest of many children living there, he loves Michael Jackson and hopes one day for his father to return to him to take him to see his icon, he needs to learn quick once his father does come back into his life though. Rocky is the little brother of Boy, he believes he has special powers, his innocence isn’t thrown out by his father’s return though. Alamein is the boy’s father, he has gotten out of jail to locate his stolen money, he struggles to be the father he was expected to be, he knows how to talk himself out of bad situations and we are left to see if he will take responsibility in the future.
Performances – James Rolleston is fantastic in this leading role, he keeps the pure innocence about his character from start to finish in the storytelling process, that is both engaging and funny. Te Aho Eketone-Whitu is good in his role, he gets a lot of laughs in his story which at times is from a distance from Boy’s. Alamein shows us just how talented Taika Waititi is, he knows how to hit comedy from behind and on front of the camera.
Story – This story follows a returning father that needs to rebuild his relationship with his kids after being away in jail, we see how the kids idolise him, but he isn’t ready to be the responsible parent. This is told through the eyes of the children which adds the innocence to everything that is going on. This does feel like a by the book story, but the way it is told makes it stand out to be truly enjoyable.
Comedy – The comedy hits well through the film, you will have plenty of laughs through the film, but more importantly you will go through the range of emotions as we follow the story unfold.
Settings – The settings show the struggle Boy and his family are going through as they search for just hope in the future.
Scene of the Movie – It might be the opening, but how Boy introduces to everyone is wonderful to watch.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Trying to impress Chardonnay
Final Thoughts – This is a wonderful comedy drama, that has the full stamp of Taika Waititi on it showing his style of comedy and storytelling that you can see a mile away.
Overall: Charming comedy drama.
Rating
