Boy 2010

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: "Boy'' rollicks along with bright, sunny style and, for the most part, balances its sadness with invention. Read more

David DeWitt, New York Times: Joy juxtaposed with humiliation, silliness with sadness, fantasy with reality, and none of it formulaic. The editing feels fresh, as does the film. Read more

Eric Hynes, Time Out: Boy needn't be pop-culturally fluent to be relatable; believable human characterizations would have sufficed. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: It's ... super-exuberant and super-affecting, thanks to the pairing of James Rolleston as the boy of the title and the filmmaker as his father. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: "Boy," from New Zealand, has its charms, most of them to do with Boy, an 11-year-old pop-culture enthusiast who's obsessed with Michael Jackson and moonwalking. Read more

Nathan Rabin, AV Club: While its airy slightness and brisk running time at times betrays its origins, its modesty also constitutes much of its homemade charm. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: "Boy" is a delightful discovery, a charming little film about fathers, sons, New Zealand and Michael Jackson. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Waititi has reached into his past for a story that belongs to him alone. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: It's a lovely oddity, and one that will probably hit home for preteen audiences all over the world. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: "Boy" finds hope, and love, in the oddest corners. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Boy could have been a twee mush of cuteness and bathos but it's not, in large part because of the outstanding cast of unself-conscious Maori kids. Read more

James Greenberg, Hollywood Reporter: A cross between The 400 Blows and Slumdog Millionaire. Read more

Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: Writer-director and co-star Taika Waititi ("Eagle vs Shark") never builds much momentum for his largely uneventful if sometimes inventive story. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Taika Waititi has found a way to balance his offbeat sensibility with a maturing humanity. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Somehow manages both to drag on and feel too short at the same time. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Boy is a charmer, a funny and affecting coming-of-age story rendered with heart, and with nuttiness. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: A film like this would have little chance without the right casting, and James Rolleston is so right as Boy, it's difficult to imagine anyone else. Read more

John Barber, Globe and Mail: Even the inevitable flaws of the low-budget production are winning, showcasing as they do the narrative artistry that makes Boy so distinctive amid current factory-written studio productions. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: A simple story of coming of age and the bitter failings of hero worship that succeeds thanks to the impressive skills of its young star. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: The material is clearly quite personal for the helmer, though it doesn't feel particularly original. Read more

Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: E.T., Musical Youth, and Shogun also turn up, but these pop-culture signifiers aren't enough to make up for the lack of a plot (or even a purpose). Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: It's serious stuff, but with a veneer of cheeky comedy. Read more