Boyhood: Blog Post

Camera Shots/Angles/Movement

            During Boyhood I feel like the best cinematic component used was really the camera shots and angles.  The movie was a good balance of what happens in real life and what is good to keep the audience intrigued in a movie.  I feel like the beginning of the movie was a better depiction of a boys childhood rather than how they portrayed Mason later in life.  One of the best scenes in the movie, I think, is when the first husband is drunk at the dinner table and starts throwing plates and glass.  The camera is set up in the corner where Mason was sitting at the table.  I think they did this to show Masons viewpoint on the scene.  Also the shot was filmed from a low angle which demonstrated power and control for the husband.  Another very well shot sequence of scenes was one of the times Mason Sr. took Mason and Samantha for the weekend.  There was one long scene where it showed them running around, throwing a football, rolling down a hill, etc.  The dialogue was simple between all three of them and I felt like the camera was just following them wherever they were going, and it didn’t seem like the camera was following a script.  However, I thought a somewhat poorly shot scene was the final scene.  I just felt like it was kind of awkward because it was a medium shot which made you concentrate on their whole body.  I think the camera should’ve been moved closer and just included the top half’s of Mason’s and his new girlfriend.  I think one scene that didn’t go along with one of the overall themes was when Mason got pissed at his dad for not giving him his car for his birthday.  The scene took place in a car where Mason’s step mom, baby, and sister sat in the back.  I feel like it should have just been Mason and his dad in the car for that scene because it felt kind of awkward when the other three were just there listening.  I think one movie that is oddly similar to Boyhood is Brick.  During Brick it seems like your following a handful of people through their lives just like in Boyhood.  The main character of Brick seemed identical to Mason where they are both monotonous and both kind of have this noir "ish"-type feel.