Wildlife (2018)
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan, Bill Camp
Runtime: 105 minutes
Synopsis: Follows teenager Joe Brinson as his family is slowly falling apart.
- Performances: 8/10
Why? I don't recall Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan giving a bad performance in the past few years. And this movie is no exception. While Gyllenhaal's role is more of a supporting nature, he still manages to shine in a few emotionally heavy scenes. However, "Wildlife" is truly Carey Mulligan's movie. She carries (forgive the pun) it from start to finish by giving what is, in my opinion, one of the best performances of the year. Her ability to showcase the emotions her character is feeling prove why she's one of the best (and most underrated) actresses working today. Ed Oxenbould, who played the couple's son, was probably the film's weak link, acting wise, even though he gave a much more interesting performance than in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Visit".
- Screenplay: 7/10
Why? Based on a book by Richard Ford and adapted to the big screen by both Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan, "Wildlife" is centered around a family going through a rough patch ignited by the firing of the father, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Paul Dano's directorial debut is more of a study of a torn down family and its toll on a teenager trying his best to be the glue that holds them together. Helped by well developed characters and carefully written dialogue, it manages to keep the audience invested in the fate of that family for most of the film's runtime. The movie does, however, suffer from a few cheesy moments and character decisions that didn't entirely feel rational, and as a result, did lose my interest a few times. "Wildlife" is not a movie I'd recommend to everyone as it requires a lot of patience, but it definitely made me excited to see what Paul Dano's next step as a director will be.
- Costumes/Makeup: 8/10
Why? Both reflective of the era the film takes place in as well as the family's financial situation, the costume design, while not being fancy and eye grasping, does its job of setting up the characters perfectly.
- Editing: 6/10
Why? One of the film's biggest problems was its pacing. And while I completely understand that the story told is not exactly one that requires a lot of things to happen in order to work, I still felt that a lot of unnecessary scenes were kept in the final cut, only making it drag more than it needed to. I did, however, appreciate the fact that it didn't use a lot of cuts which helps make the audience feel like they're in the room with the characters.
- Cinematography: 7/10
Why? Nothing really special here. The film was nice to look at aesthetically but never goes crazy or offers anything new in the cinematography department.
- Score/Soundtrack: 6/10
Why? The score used was not bad at all and did fit the tone of the film. Its only problem was the fact that it felt generic at times and was ultimately forgettable.
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