This tweet from Mark Cousins recently popped up on my Facebook feed: “I almost never re-watch films, but I want to see Richard Linklater’s Boyhood every year of my life.” The Scottish director was not the first in the movie’s unanimous choir of praisers; he simply vocalized what I believe all who have seen it think. The product of Richard Linklater’s 12-year cinematic experiment is not only an unheard-of and daring exercise executed with striking consequence, a firm emotional pattern, and structural consistency — it’s a one-of-a-kind experience.

Going from boyhood to manhood took this project 12 years. The narrative follows young Mason (Ellar Coltrane) growing up and learning to navigate his way, as well as his parents (Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette) divorcing, then going on with their lives. Coltrane was cast in Austin when he was only 6, and matured into a full-blown teenager during the shooting, which took a month out of every year. When Linklater first worked with him, Coltrane couldn’t even read well. They ended up co-writing scenes. There is something breathtaking about the nature of the changes we witness here; the story is supported by the real-life physical and mental changes that the actors underwent during the shoot. This unusual merging of truth and fiction leaves a lasting impression and adds unforced depth to the film.

Linklater shot the film in chapters, but this fragmentation of the process does not threaten its coherence. Going through the characters’ lives in stages is a gentle approach, and not once does it debunk the elaborate underpinning structure. Though the film was made in an unusual way and covers such a long span, filled with radical events and multiple dramatic peaks, the final effect is beautifully swift in its natural fluidity. Nearly three hours pass without a single doubt, an experience so immersive it makes even the vaguest prospect of a break unwanted and unnerving.

However hopeless or grave Mason’s challenges seem from his all-is-a-matter-of-life-or-death teenage perspective, and however nuanced, intense, or disarmingly disappointing his parents lives become at times, Linklater’s calming presence is always there. The narrative is shaped by a mature understanding of life, with all its glory and petty baggage. There’s a readiness for the upcoming daily battles both mundane and spectacular, and an acceptance of fate, however crooked and uncertain it may be.

On top of it all, Linklater yet again confirms his outstanding talent for dialogue that’s intricate, elaborate, and spot-on, but delivered with almost improvised unpretentiousness and spontaneity. The words sound shapely and tasty, but never calculated. And this is enforced by brilliant casting choices. It takes a lot of trust and dedication to sign on for a journey that lasts longer than some real life relationships. But this shared trust, confidence, sense of curiosity, and respect is what made Linklater’s previous films great, and turns this one into a gem like nothing that’s been seen before.

Looking back on his accomplishments to date, it becomes clear that Linklater is one of the grand pioneers, explorers, and expanders of contemporary cinema. He’s a tender innovator with a compassionate heart and disarming sense of humor, and is truly unique. Embarking on the Boyhood ship, he once again trusted his unfailingly accurate intuitive compass. In effect, he’s sharing a film so familiar and recognizable that it immediately blends into the viewer’s bloodstream, blurring the line between cinema and reality. It’s a moive that asks to be re-watched over and over again, because it really does mimic the flow of life itself.

Grade: A