Boy

Aroview: Taika Waititi continues his dream run as director with this fictionalised coming-of-age tale that draws on his own experience growing up on the rural East Coast in 1984.

Loosely expanding on his Oscar-nominated short "Two Cars, One Night", this tells the story of two young brothers trying to bond with their irresponsible and long-absent father (played by Waititi himself) who suddenly returns to the family home after a stint in jail. The film is blessed with two superb child performances in both Rolleston and Eketone-Whitu, though by contrast Waititi's patriarch perhaps misses the same level of humility to make this a true heart-breaker.

But he does have a natural, confident rhythm as a film-maker, with an ear for cheeky comedy and an eye for delightful visual asides that so charmed EAGLE VS. SHARK, and the film is similar to that indie gem in more ways than are at first apparent. Here, though, the elements managed to connect with a Kiwi audience broad enough to make it a spectacular locally-produced box-office champ.

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