Boy (2010)

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I usually don’t hear or read a lot about movies from New Zealand. Of course WETA and Peter Jackson are the most famous export “items” from this country, but I can’t remember any movies I’ve seen that were filmed there with local actors. Until I saw Boy.
Boy is main characters in this movie, a kid who loves Michael Jackson, who just released his album Thriller. As the movie is set during the eighties, it’s something which is used to great effect. So they are not only talking about Michael Jackson, but other well-known eighties subjects, like E.T., are also mentioned. Boy has a lot of imagination and at school he tells a lot of big stories about the things his father did and how great he is. He does not tell the class that in reality his father is stuck in jail.
As you do when you are young (and also when you are older) Boy tries to be cool to his friends and tries to impress the girl he has a crush on (including a Michael Jackson dance routine).
Because his grandmother isn’t home (his mother passed away when he was younger), it is up to him to take care of the rest of the kids. This includes his little brother Rocky, who thinks he has superpowers. I really loved the way these special powers are shown, which is very imaginative (and results in some laughs).

When his father gets out of jail it becomes clear where the kids got their imagination from. His father is a big loser who has started a gang. He does do fun stuff with his kids, but doesn’t work. His idea of life is having fun, getting high and drink.
The main focus of this movie though are the kids, who really impress. Their acting is great and they manage to generate a lot of laughs as well as moments with a lot of emotion.

Boy is a nice enjoyable little movie, which probably won’t make you laugh out loud, but will bring a smile to your face. Be sure to keep watching when the movie ends as you will be treated to a nice Thriller inspired dance routine mixed with some New Zealand tradition.

Score: 7