Richard Linklater is a director whose name has not become widely recognizable in the likes of Spielberg, Tarantino, or the Coen Brothers, but for anyone who studies film, he is a humble visionary whose eclectic filmography is truly that of an individual. With Boyhood on its way to Oscar recognition, the hope appears that his name will become more recognizable, and 21 Years: Richard Linklater is a collective tribute to the man behind such a variety of movies.
The inner workings behind many of Linklater’s films are gone through one by one as his favorite actors, many of whom he helped put on the map, reminisce in an interview about working with him. Ethan Hawke, Matthew McConaughey, Jack Black, and many more all have nothing but praise for their numerous collaborations with the director. Indeed, the film is inspiring to anyone who has dreamed of making movies in the same way that watching special features on a DVD used to be: it unmasks the wonder. In its brisk 78 minutes, the film is nothing more than interviews and clips of movies, mixed in with a few animated transitions for those with a short attention span. It behooves you to have seen the following Linklater films that are highlighted: Dazed and Confused, the Before trilogy, School of Rock, The Newton Boys, A Scanner Darkly, Bad News Bears, Me and Orson Welles, Bernie, and ending with Slacker, the micro-film that got the engine running for both Linklater and modern independent cinema. If you haven’t seen any of these, this movie will serve you no good, and the more you have seen the more you can get out of it. The film also dips into his contributions to the Austin Film Society, which definitely could have been extended as it potentially is a powerful tale in and of itself.
Indeed, the film is inspiring to anyone who has dreamed of making movies in the same way that watching special features on a DVD used to be: it unmasks the wonder.
It’s a niche film, but as a big Linklater fan myself, I can’t deny my shared thorough inspiration from the director that all his peers have. If you are a lover of film, it certainly would be worth your time to check out his filmography. Especially with Boyhood now in release, it gives it a perspective. Some say it is his masterpiece, but I stand by Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight as a perfect trio of films and quintessential Linklater. Either way, I still have more of his movies to see myself, and this film serves as a reminder that even his less acclaimed movies are not a waste of your time.
This documentary never aspires to stand next to these movies as an equal, but to honor them and the man who put them together. In no way does it care to be as innovative as any of them, but it instead shows just how much work Linklater has done, all the while maintaining a truly unique yet humble vision. It’s an enjoyable love letter to the writer-director and anyone who views it will glimpse the unique contribution to cinema that has come from this man’s filmography.
