Boy

Damian Brantley
Michael Jackson Entertainer for Legends in Concert Waikiki

Where and with whom did you see the movie?

I went to Kahala 8 Theaters. A friend of mine accompanied me and enjoyed the movie just as much as I did.

Overall what did you think?

To be quite frank, I was extremely skeptical going in. My initial impression from the trailer was that, more than likely, I was in for a sleeper. Boy, was I wrong … no pun intended. The film was beyond visually and audibly comfortable. Both of these pleasant surprises made watching the movie, and better yet, enjoying the movie, extremely fun. All throughout the movie I felt like I was literally there with the actors on scene. The story was hilarious, exciting, frustrating, sad, and even had a few surprises. I laughed so hard a couple of times that I had tears rolling down my face! All in all, the movie was dynamic in so many different ways. Great movie!

Without giving away the ending, what was one of your favorite scenes?

This is easy! After Boy’s, (that’s his name, played by James Rolleston) father comes back into the picture, good old dad decides to throw a little party in their garage for him and his gang. Boy sits in the corner during most of the party and tries to act like one of the guys to impress his father, but unfortunately the dad becomes extremely intoxicated and begins to make a fool of himself. His dad is hilarious! At one point during the party, the father re-creates scenes from Michael Jackson’s Billy Jean video. They even implemented the sidewalk that lights up like in the original MJ video! Great scene!

On a scale of one to four stars, what would you rate this film?

I’d give it a strong ★★★★.

What did you think of the cinematography?

Breathtaking. Each scene was beautifully blended into one another with no visual distractions. I also loved how an earthly atmosphere was used throughout the film while introducing colorful backgrounds.

Was the message/theme clear?

There were several messages/themes, in my eyes, all of which created a chain that finally linked together with the end scene. The only confusion to some may be that the comical areas in the movie overshadow some of the messages at times. Personally I think comedy helps digest real life at a universal speed to all … thumbs up to the comedy.

Did it remind you of any other work in film?

I’m sitting here trying to think of a film that parallels this one but I can’t. The movie BOY took me on a ride that I’ve never been on before. This crew and cast did an outstanding job.

To whom would you recommend this movie?

This is a movie for all ages. I could see myself watching this film with my grandmother as easily as I could with my best friend … or all together!

Did any of the actors stand out?

Although I’m probably picking the obvious, I’m going with Boy. He was an extremely believable actor who took you on an emotional roller coaster over feel-good highs and painful lows. He was very funny, as well! I really hope to see him in other movies.

Did you identify with any of the characters?

Hmmm … I can’t say that I do. Still, I found all of the characters intriguing … some more than others, of course. I think I could identify better with certain issues within the movie rather than identify with the individual characters. That’s just me.

Did the soundtrack contribute significantly to the film?

The mix was incredible! The arrangements were so well-placed and introduced per scene. I like the lack of low end in the musical mix to give more sonic room to the natural lows of the earthly environment.

On a different note, what’s new with you?

This year has been nothing less than exciting, and I can see it only getting better. Our show Legends in Concert Waikiki is entertaining audiences of all ages nightly (dark on Mondays) in the Royal Hawaiian Theater. The show is great, in addition to my tribute to Michael Jackson, audiences have the chance to see tribute artists portraying Elvis, Lady Gaga and Elton John. It’s a blessing to go out on stage every night and share your talents with the crowd. When I’m not on stage, I’m steadily chiseling the finishing touches to my upcoming Electronica/Slow Hop project. With doing the show full time it’s taken a bit longer than expected, but I’m in no rush … I want it to be the best it can be.