2054 - Boyhood

There was so much hype behind this film that it was impossible to go into it with a fresh set of eyes.  When I first heard about the film and the construction of how it was made over 12 years I was a bit annoyed as I’d had a similar idea for a project - though because I knew it was Linklater doing it it made me excited.  It’s hard to separate the story from the style.  On one hand you’ve got an incredible cinematic achievement - on the other you’ve got something that’s pretty simple, a story that isn’t all that spectacular.  And while it’s full of nuance and some really lovely moments, on the whole I think I have to ask - was his really worth 12 years of someone’s life?  I realize that it happened in and amongst other projects and other things, but I don’t know.  I know I’m being a bit cynical because this film was so universally loved, but I just felt like this story could have been more universal in some ways and more affecting.  It did stick with me a bit.  I’d love to see what special features the DVD has.  I’m not dismissing it - I liked it - though I did find it dragged on in parts.  I’d wholly recommend it to anyone who likes simple character based stories.  

1876 - Before Midnight

In a way, I've aged with Jesse and Celine, though they are a few years ahead of me, their lives and where they're at aren't all that far off.  When we first met they were idealistic and romantic as was I.  Then at our second outing was just as their lives were about to shift and become more serious - it was right around the time that I met my now wife - and now - they have been together all these years with two children, as am I, with a beautiful marriage that is not perfect - but with a journey to understanding if perfection is even real when it comes to relationships.

This feels like a much welcome addition to this franchise, and I think in terms of their arguments and conversations it hits home much harder, because their issues and views aren't far off from my own.  My wife and I shared evil laughs at each other through the course.  The one thing this film is missing that makes the others really work is a sense of urgency.  In both the previous films there's a time limit coming - there's a race to find meaning before they have to part - that absence is felt here.  We believe that they could go on squabbling for forever.  And if I'm honest I have to say that the ending felt a bit anti-climatic.  I know that the previous films left with question marks, and I'm fine with that - but the resolution here just felt like it came out of nowhere and wasn't completely earned… And I have to say that the cynic in me questions if this film could stand on it's own at all, or if it's completely dependant on being part of a series - not that that's a bad thing.

That said, I'm in if they come back sometime near the end of the next decade.  Delpy and Hawke have created a beautiful couple that lasts, and I do hope we continue to see their adventures together.

1786 - Dazed & Confused

Good goddamn I forgot just how perfect this film in.  I was in the mood for a solid ensemble film with a great soundtrack and there are few that are on the level of this one.  It's interesting though, when you see great ensemble films often the music takes a large role as well. 
If this film isn't part of your lexicon it's a damn shame - it's one of the best coming of age stories and all the better because of it's wife variety of tales.  It's the last day of school for a bunch of kids in a small Texas town.  Some about to become seniors, the others about to become freshmen - but all of them are on the cusp of change large and small.  It also features a pretty impressive cast of up-and-comers and even the delightful Richard Linklater couldn't have predicted how big many of them would become.
If you're looking to pick this up you'll probably want to spring for the Criterion Collection edition (I have the usual) as I'm sure it's worth the extra $$$.
This is easily one of the best films of the ninties and of it's genre, one of the best in general.  If you were every a teenager in high school I just can't imagine how this wouldn't resonate with you somehow.