About The Boy

It’s been a fairly bonkers few months. I’ve found it’s always best to define things by happenings in the real world – rather than one’s own self indulgent musings. I could natter about anything all the way from the odd indignity of One Dimension’s charges flashing their boxers on national tele through to the coalition’s pathetic disinterest in doing anything useful. But, much more wonderful are some of the films I’ve been watching. Yes, I’m just going to go for some of my own self indulgent musings.

There are two films recently that I have truly and wonderfully wallowed in every minute of, firstly, Taika Waititi’s Waihau Bay NZ set Boy. Boy, alongside his ever trusted Michael Jackson has a series of encounters with the world and how some parts are inclined to work and how some parts will just come down to luck and how some bits will just be plain rubbish. Mary and Max – another Antipodean offering (no not related to my imminent relocation) which handles loneliness, singularity and that all involving trust you find with some people where however much you push it you know there can be a way to pull it back – like the naive beauty of sending perishables round the world in the post; that Lamington was never going to make it Mary. These films are similar in few and in many ways –wonderful story telling and ingenuity with imagery are enough to pin them together, and the personal facets of both pieces. One is 1984 Kiwis - one is clay-animation narrated by Barry Humphries, on paper, you're already onto a winner.

The most moving moment in a film I’ve ever seen is in Boy – and it’s simply a small child in a parker (hood up) on roller boots silently proffering a sparkler gliding across a garage floor in the dark. A film maker who can put that together so perfectly is surely a visionary. Mary and Max has skills in human fault and error, every character's flawed traits are their most prominent – it’s the complete opposite of a Saturday's music video – where perfection is prominent, as is the dubbing. Mary and Max makes one proud to be imperfect – and scared of the world. Why shouldn’t we be frightened? It’s big and dark out there kids.

I adore the idea that reading this may inspire you to look each or any of these films up. Mary and Max is currently kicking about in a projection room near you, but I’m concerned the looking up may not be likely with the lack of any synopsis or general ‘review’ of these films. Please don’t let that stop you. When you’re in a world of obscure thoughts and ponders; where every tiny little act of misadventure is mulled over and appreciated – genuinely thought filled stories seem to have an even greater impact. These are two of those. ‘Nuff said.

http://www.maryandmax.com/
http://www.boythemovie.co.nz/