Rosebud
UK Premier
Taika Waititi/ New Zealand 2010/ 87 min/ tbc
Set in 1984, the era of E.T., Falcon Crest and Michael Jackson, Boy is an original take on the classic coming of age drama. Director Taika Waititi (Director of Flight of the Conchords) infuses the story with his own playful style with snippets of animation and fantasy, even bringing us a version of MJ’s Thriller done ‘Haka’ style.
Boy is 11 years old. His mother is dead, and he idolises his wayward father, who returns to the family home after a stretch in prison for robbery. The trick of the movie is that it allows us to see events through both Boy and his brother Rocky’s eyes, whilst always gently reminding us that worshipping false idols, whether they be Michael Jackson, money, or bad dads, is bound to come a cropper in the end. When the tension between Rocky and his father is finally explained, and Boy realizes that his father is no god, a curious reversal occurs, and the insight and maturity that both boys attain is put into sharp contrast with a father who has never quite managed to grow up.
Boy manages to tell a tale of Maori life which concentrates not on large scale socio-economic woes but the pain and confusion that come with growing up in any race or class, and tells a universal story with a light touch and a boot full of laughs.
Showing @ Cineworld 17th June 17:45
@ Filmhouse 20th June 20:45