Boy (2012)

A good description of this movie would be a mix of Moonrise Kingdom and Borat (but not as edgy). Watiti shows his prowess as a director and writer through extremely effective cinematography and hilarious but subtle script. The acting and score for this film are almost perfect. And Watiti does a great job of bringing colors into the slums of New Zealand especially in Boy's dream sequences about his father this helps emphasize the child like mood. I believe there is sometiing in thus film for almost everyone and I highly recommend it.

When his father returns from prison, an adolescent has to wrestle with the possibility that his dad is less interested in him and more in a fortune stashed away in this comedy-drama blend from New Zealand. The film gets off to a delightfully quirky start with humorous cutaways as the title character introduces us to his brother with "special powers", his pet goat and close friends. There is also a lot to like in the responsibility he takes for his brother and his keen interest in Michael Jackson music with the 1980s setting. The magic is not quite the same though when his father enters the picture. Director Taika Waititi is decent enough as the long-absent patriarch who feels so far removed from his son that he asks the boy to refer to him by a different name. There is also a telling scene in which he tells him "we are like bros, you and me", highlighting just how little interest he has in being a father. Solid drama though this provides as the protagonist has to contend with disillusionment, the laughs are not really there and the film never once recaptures its initial zaniness. Of course, this could be argued as a deliberate change of genre to coincide with growing up, but what Waititi does best is quirkiness with some heart and as such this mostly just feels like a stepping stone before 'What We Do in the Shadows' and 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople', the latter of which has laughs from start to finish.

In all its simplicity and quirkiness this has become my favourite movie of all time. There are actually many layers to this film and it deals with a wide array of topics regarding the human condition in a humorous and playful manner. Heart wrenching scenes dealing with the loss of a parent, loneliness and rejection are masterfully interwoven with the beauty of imagination as seen through the eyes of the young protagonist. I always have been fascinated by Maori culture and it was endearing to see how young Maori's struggle to find meaning and happiness in their lives. This movie is well acted, incredibly well cast and beautifully put together in all aspects. If you have not seen this film yet, please go and watch it with your whole family. I assure you that you will all enjoy the experience!

Boy is fun movie that takes place in New Zealand. Directed by Taika Waititi, who also wrote the script. The movie is about a young boy everyone simply calls Boy. Boy lives with his grandmother and his brother Rocky and many of his cousins on a poor-farm in New Zealand in the Bay of Plenty area, and is a huge Michael Jackson fan. This is a movie about a boy that meets his real father and realization hits that his father is not as great as he had hoped. The movie brings in the hard facts that Boy's father is a criminal who returns to dig up a bag of money and has very little care for the boy. It is a coming of age movie and depicts real life drug and money issues, but the main issue is absentee fathers.This movie started out with the title Choice and then The Volcano before acquiring its current catchy title. The New Zealand hit won 9 awards and received 8 nominations. Awards included Taika Waititi winning AFI Fest 2010 Audience Award Best International Feature Film and for the Sydney Film Festival 2010 Waititi also won Best Feature Film Audience Award.I think most people will understand and enjoy this movie thanks to a drastic decline in bad fathers in the world.