Everyone's had the moment when they realise their dad's not all that. For Luke Skywalker, it was shortly after having his hand cut off on Cloud City; for me it was the day I watched Dad, resplendent in a pair of red Speedos, challenge my cousin to a race across the backyard pool at a barbecue in Wodonga circa 1987.
Beneath the '80s nostalgia and New Zealand jokes, Taika Waititi's Boy is a similar tale of father/son misunderstanding. Left to look after a small army of cousins, Boy dreams of the day his father, Alamein, will return from jail and take him to a Michael Jackson concert. Unfortunately on his return, it's unclear whether Alamein is a lovable manchild, perfectly happy pretending his umbrella is a machine gun, or an abusive alcoholic. Waititi seems to a have had a bet both ways, and as a result Boy is less successful when it tries to inject some serious drama into the final act.
Minor hiccups aside, anyone who has spent their youth throwing eggs at cars or grown up in New Zealand with only Country Calendar or Tux Wonder Dogs to watch on a Sunday night will find a lot to like about this film. Don't be an egg, go see it.
What:
Boy
Where:
In cinemas from Aug 26
Watch the trailer:
Here
Win:
Thanks to Transmission Films, we have 3 dbls to give away! To enter, email
win@fourthousand.com.au with the subject 'your did's not overseas...he's in the same cill block as my did'
