“My name is Boy and welcome to my interesting world,” begins a school oral report and those words also introduces us to our 11 year old protagonist. And what an interesting world it is. Boy, with his wind tousled locks and high wattage smile is from the small ocean side town of Waihau Bay, New Zealand. He is a bright and impetuous kid, high on potential but completely lacking in guidance. What we also know is that he lives with his grandmother, a pack of younger parent-less cousins, his pet goat Leaf and his 6 year old brother, Rocky, who believes he has super powers. Boy is friends with a scraggly bunch of kids that go by the name Dallas, Dynasty and Falcon Crest. Boy is also a devoted disciple of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. BOY, if you haven’t guessed, is set in the era still coming to grips with the aftermath of two very important cultural developments: E.T. The Extraterrestrial, and the behemoth success of Jackson’s Thriller. It’s the ‘80s, 1984 to be exact and the impact of these developments have dramatic, and mostly comic, repercussions for the film’s heroes.

 But besides the almighty Gloved One, Boy’s hero worship is mostly directed towards his absent father, who, in Boy’s fertile mind, is a wood carving, deep sea treasure diving, rugby captain, war hero who can also bust a move like Michael Jackson. But, as time will reveal, the glimmering luster of idols are made to be tarnished and as the headlights of a vintage muscle car carrying three dubious characters pull into the driveway, Boy’s world is about to get more interesting. Alamein, Boy’s dad, has finally returned from prison and is back to retrieve money he’s hidden away (although he can’t recall exactly where he left it) from a previous robbery. He’s also back to spend some “quality” time with his two sons. What follows is a dizzying display of father/son bonding time that would put any local social services on full alert.

Ingenious. Witty. Bittersweet. Writer/Director, Taika Waititi has concocted a harmonious blend of zaniness and poignancy. BOY is an irresistible cocktail of Baz Luhrman and the Coen Brothers, with a very distinct New Zealand rhythm and spirit – A smart and touching script executed with great gusto and charm by the entire cast. Each character is vivid and unique and each performance is a revelation.

Synopsis written by: Joel Quizon