E.T, The A-Team, Michael Jackson…..Ah, the 80’s.
Boy, the sophomore feature from kiwi multi-hyphenate Taika Waititi (the comedian and creator of the quirky Eagle vs Shark writes, directs and co-stars) takes us on a nostalgic journey back to a lazy summer in 1984 to Waititi’s provincial childhood home in Waihau Bay on New Zealand’s east coast.
Here lives the plucky 11 year old Boy (newcomer James Rolleston) in a ramshackle house with his nan, his younger brother Rocky (Te Aho Eketone-Whitu) - a quiet soul who regularly visits his mother’s grave and believes he’s something of a superhero - his cousins and pet goat Leaf with whom he shares his ideal imagined life which includes a romance with school crush Chardonnay (RickyLee Waipuka-Russell). Also imagined are the exploits of absentee father Alamein (Waititi) in fantasy sequences which see him as a swashbuckling war hero, an intrepid deep sea diver and as the King of Pop, Boy’s other hero.
But when Alamein appears out of the blue, fresh from a stint in the slammer for robbery, it’s not the prodigal return Boy may have hoped for; his Dad is really back to find some buried cash. Still, a bond of sorts forms. Alamein offers dodgy sex advice and makes a bumbling attempt at sticking it to Boy’s bullies. He’s more of a child in many ways than his own kids, obsessed with 80’s pop culture (particularly E.T.) and his bikie gang ‘The Crazy Horses’. “We’re renegades,” he tells Boy “like The A-Team or The Hulk.”
In this coming of age tale, Boy realises he has to find his own potential and put to rest his heroic perceptions of his father.
In an apparent mix of Waititi’s own experiences, those of others and those imagined, Boy offers a peculiar blending of the surreal, the poignant and the absurd –it’s not surprising Waitiki’s visual and narrative style has been likened to that of Wes Anderson’s.
Fantasy sequences are imaginatively and inventively executed and feature several with Alamein as Jackson (Waitiki is a self confessed fan) in several guises – be sure to catch the Maori inspired rendition of Thriller in the end credits.
While Waitiki’s screenplay is lovingly steeped in whimsical pop culture references and 80’s nostalgia (characters names include Dynasty and Falcon Crest) he also depicts a rough-and-tumble life, where Boy’s imaginings bring temporary escape from a moribund existence; with Nan away at a funeral and Dad coming and going as he pleases, Boy is the sole carer of his family.
Boy doesn’t always soar. It borders on maudlin and mundane at times and some of the amateur actors can be wooden. And, while it’s a frequently funny film, the idiosyncratic, quirky kiwi humour doesn’t always gel and takes a while to get used to (perhaps that’s a case of being ‘lost in translation’). Still, it grows on you.
Boy’s three lead characters are strong and memorable, brought to life with impressive performances. Rolleston in his acting debut brings joy and intelligence, Eketone-Whitu as Rocky, understated poignancy. Waititi as Alamein (whose healthy afro and handlebar moustache is reminiscent of The Village People) owns the character with fine comic timing and delivery and manages to transform his character from dead beat dad to a father with heart.
The film won the audience awards at 2010’s Sydney and Melbourne Film Festivals and it’s not hard to see why. With plenty of charm and humour, Boy was a top condender for feel-good film of the year.
This review was first published online on Trespass Magazine, 2010.
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