Boy (Taika Waititi, 2010): New Zealand

Reviewed by Carolina Soto. Viewed at Mann Chinese Theater, AFI-Fest, Hollywood.

Director Taika Waititi (Academy Award nominated 2005 for his short film ´Two cars, one night´) enters the movie theatre to present his movie Boy. Earlier this year this movie won in the category for best film feature at Berlin International film festival. Influenced by his childhood in New Zealand, and casting the main character only three days before shooting, he managed to put this movie together. ´Boy´ got appreciated of the inhabitants of New Zealand and it seem to go pretty well for it in the rest of the world too. This drama has a unconscious comedy, which makes it funny.

Boy, played by James Rolleston, is a 11 year old boy, living in a small town named Waihau Bay, New Zealand. The year is 1984, Michael Jackson and Boy’s father (and even both at same time) takes most of the space in his head. With the absent of his father, Boy let himself to idolize and make his dad a hero. He lives with his grandmother, younger brother Rocky (who believes he got superpowers) and his goat. One day his grandmother have to travel away for a while, the dad, played by Taika himself, comes back home to his sons. Boy’s floating on clouds and does everything to please his great dad. As the days goes by, Boy realizes that his dad isn’t as amazing as he fantasized, he’s not even a good dad.

With camera angels that makes the picture funny and unexpected lines, we follow Boy’s way to accept his dad as he is, and finding his own potential. With fun characters and peculiar props it still doesn’t make the comedy too obvious. ´Boy´ has a few likenesses with Diego Luna’s feature film ´Abel´. Not just that the title is the main character’s name, but both boys deals with an absent dad who returns home and both movies showing it with an unconscious comedy. Tough the likenesses, they handle the subject with different stories.

I didn’t knew what to expect from the movie, but Taika seemed to be a funny guy in person when he appeared in the theater. At the same time when he was serious he managed to be funny. When I had seen the movie I could feel his personal touch to it. I like the way how it is a comedy, and that makes it rememberable. And all the kids and characters in the movie has a personality which brings up the movie.