"incredible transformation by Joey King — and Patricia Arquette"

"One of the first movies I saw on a date after my marriage fell apart. My date and I, both single parents, were glued to the performances of Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette–parents doing the best they can with the tools they have, all while the clock of their son’s childhood ticks on. I know other people were amazed at Richard Linklater’s feat of filming over twelve years. But I would have been sold on the story if there were twelve different actors: I loved the longitudinal look at how the decisions or mistakes that parents make can define their son’s childhood. And, like The Ice Storm, Boyhood never loses touch with our constituency: the boy."

"True Romance would definitely be in my top five. I particularly loved Patricia Arquette in True Romance. I loved how delicate she is but also how down she is in the fight scene in that film — it’s by far one of my favorite fight scenes ever. It’s just so real. I loved that hotel fight scene. And of course I loved the dialogue. I loved how you could just get so attached to the characters. That’s kind of like a fairytale for me: to think that two people could meet like that and be completely, you know — just 100 per cent have each other’s back, instead of all the bullshit we go through in everyday life. Two people that just fell in love, and their dedication to each other — that really comes through in the film. And I think the whole story, and the dialogue, is just really cool."

"For anyone who doesn't know, this is a Texas-set drama about growing up and growing pains shot over 12 years with the same actors, some of whom start very young and who age on screen before our eyes. It's as much about the heartbreak of being a parent as that of growing up – and that without the moments of real connection between parents and children, siblings and friends, a lot of us would be lost. We don't know when or where these moments are going to come from and we make wrong turns and choices all along the way. Patricia Arquette as the mom who tries hard but keeps picking the wrong man is really good in this. It's ultimately uplifting but doesn't let on that it's necessarily an easy ride and all the more interesting for that. It's always been fascinating seeing kids grow up in dramas (eg AJ and Meadow in The Sopranos or Arya and Sansa in Game of Thrones) but I've never seen so many years condensed into such a short time-space while still feeling there's lots of breathing space in the film. The fact that it's made by Richard Linklater who's so good with actors, picture and soundtrack of course adds loads."