Marketed as a movie about a boy and his love for Michael Jackson, that pitch alone did not have me running to the movie theatre to watch the movie BOY. But two minutes into the film, I knew it was the kind of quirky goodness with all the elements of heart and comedy that I would enjoy.

Writer Tanzila Ahmed is at Sundance, America’s premiere festival of indie flicks, held yearly on the snowbound streets of Park City, Utah. From her home base at the Taqwacore house (peopled with those who produced the film of the novel being shown there and the bands that soundtrack it), Ahmed will bring us a daily dose of indie celeb news. Learn more about her and her work here. And read her past blogs here.
The marketing pitch for the film Boy spoke about a boy and his love for Michael Jackson did not have me running to the theatre. But two minutes into the film, I knew it had the kind of quirky goodness with all the elements of heart and comedy that I would enjoy.

Set in 1984 in a Maori village on the coast of New Zealand, the movie takes us on a journey with 11 year old Boy and his little brother, Rocky. Their missing father, Alamein, portrayed as a heroic deep sea diver and rugby legend, returns suddenly into their lives. But Alamein is no rock star. He is a misfit on the run, using the home (and his boys) as a resting place before he leaves for his next debauchery-full adventure.

I loved this movie. It’s the story of boy coming of age and of realizing that your perception of your parents as heroic is based on myth; They are just human. The colors of the movie are vibrant and the ’80s setting reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite. Best of all was how cute the boys were and their fresh faced dialogue. This movie reminded me a lot of Son of Rambow with the focus on the quirky adventures of pre-teen boys who have to come to terms with something deeper than themselves.

This is a first time film written and directed by Taika Waititi, whose previous Oscar nominated short Two Cars, One Night inspired this production. Waititi also plays the crazed father, Alamein, in his own film. Though he introduced the film at the premiere at Sundance, I didn’t realize it was him on-screen acting as Alamein until halfway through the movie. His acting was superb as he plays an unlikeable father you don’t have the heart to fully dislike.

Simply put, it was a beautiful, hilarious, and heart wrenching movie. If it comes to a theater near you, I would highly recommend running out to watch it. 5/5 Stars!

Check out the trailer below: