'Boyhood' is not presented as a fake documentary, but the dry, chronological presentation of various episodes in the life of the movie's subject over the course of 12 years does make it seem like one at times. The strength of the movie, besides the various performances, is how familiar these various episodes, whether happy, awkward, comic, tragic, or mundane will feel to the viewer. The important moments are not especially emphasized over those less so, and taken individually, most of the scenes seem fairly trivial. But the sum is greater than the parts, and well illustrates the movie's central theme of life being a series of random moments interspersed with the occasional milestone that you share with the family members, friends, enemies and other people that come in and out of your life.
