Wildlife, 2018.
Directed by Paul Dano.
Starring Carey Mulligan, Ed Oxenbould, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Bill Camp.
SYNOPSIS:
A boy witnesses his parents’ marriage falling apart after his mother finds another man.
When all fully goes to hell in a handbasket, Jeanette (Carey Mulligan as a conflicted and frustrated housewife searching for her own happiness, and although she doesn’t know it, her independence amid 1960s rural America in a time where gender roles were slowly expanding) openly tells her son Joe (relative newcomer Ed Oxenbould, who is the real highlight of the film, which is high praise considering the A-level talent making up this small and quiet ensemble) that it’s okay if he now hates her after everything she has caused. In reality, his father Jerry (Jake Gyllenhaal, a wounded and prideful man that’s also tempered and irrational, making for some terrifyingly scary and believable hotheaded behavior in some of the film’s final scenes) is just as culpable for the familial implosion.
Joe reacts, and I’m not going to spoil what he says or does, but it sums up first-time director Paul Dano’s (adapting the Richard Ford novel of the same name, collaborating on the script with The Big Sick star Zoe Kazan) empathetic and observational approach to his debut feature film Wildlife. When domestic turmoil arises, it’s easy to single one person out and place the blame. To be fair, it’s easy to do that in any situation, but more so when it comes to marital issues. Still, Paul Dano has remarkably crafted a slice of 1960s American life where a man commits arson (admittedly, this is also the only point where the film slightly jumps the shark, but mostly due to the aftermath of the event) and a woman succumbs to adultery based on a plethora of mixed feelings to unpack, but most prominently of those are essentially being abandoned and driven to the edge by her husband along with the comfortable potential for financial stability, and yet like Joe we don’t necessarily hate these parents. Sure, they are flawed, but their actions are grounded in reality thanks to confidently restrained and assured direction.
Paul Dano makes the wisest created decision of all for adapting this material, which is to always stay with young 14-year-old Joe, even with the temptation of further utilizing tantalizing actors such as Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan (the former of which actually has limited screentime, but nearly the same amount of complexity as the other two leads). An early segment sees Jerry getting fired from working on a well-respected golf course, but instead of moving the camera or cutting away to the heated conversation, the indecipherable (even with headphones on and the volume cranked all the way up, the falling autumn leaves and other unknown noises drown out the dialogue) words are left as is until elaborated on in a more personal conversation with Joe present. Joe remains centered in the framing, and the facial expressions from Ed Oxenbould say everything we need to know; the same applies for when his parents are arguing in another room and uncomfortably snooping on what his mother is up to with another, much more wealthier and successful man (played here by Bill Camp).
Thrusting Jeanette into this midlife crisis is, essentially, Jerry’s pride. He is fired from the golfing course, and rather than take on simple but reliable grocery store work, he chooses to sign up and battle a raging wildfire inching itself closer and closer to town, meaning that he will be gone until snow begins to hit Montana, and that’s if the fires don’t consume him. Not only is this an act of toxic masculinity and straight up selfishness (Jerry also does things like push his son to play football despite his disinterest in doing so), it also allows the viewer to further empathize with Jeanette’s irrational reactions ranging from adultery to conspiracy theories assuming that Jerry left because he’s in love with another woman near the fire.
Meanwhile, Joe starts working at an early age assisting at a photography booth, ironically taking snapshots of much happier individuals whether it be newlyweds or couples having their first child. It’s also evident that he is book-smart, and despite just having relocated to a new school (Jerry seems to move the family around quite a bit), appears to be making a girlfriend. Naturally, as the domestic problems worsen and worsen, his academic excellence begins to falter, with his mother even encouraging staying home from school so that they could go watch the fires from afar, juxtaposing the young child’s sympathy with his mother’s disdain.
Wildlife boasts impressive photography in general, as Paul Dano likes to keep the camera static and pulled back, especially during outdoor environments, likely to better demonstrate the sense of isolation and loneliness permeating the town. Such distant cinematography also allows him to capture multiple characters performing different acts all at once, all of which usually give more depth to each character in ways where dialogue would feel redundant or out of place. Furthermore, 1960 itself feels accurately captured, both in terms of wardrobe, set design, and licensed music that evokes the era without resorting to too many classic tunes.
There isn’t really anything to fault Wildlife for other than the fact that some moviegoers might not enjoy the slow pacing, even if there are bursts of anger from the always incredible Jake Gyllenhaal. One bit about the climax is a tiny bit far-fetched, and I suppose you could also say the wildfire comparison to how quickly and unexpectedly domestic life can become similarly engulfed in flames is a bit too on the nose, but it’s nowhere near bothersome considering the layers upon layers of each family member. You know a movie is special when Carey Mulligan gives arguably the best performance of her career, and it’s not even the best performance in the film; they bring the life-altering pain of a family falling apart to the screen with genuine realism, building to an ending image that will linger long after the credits roll. Wildlife is more than just an outstanding debut film from an actor turned director in Paul Dano, it’s one of the best films of the year.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, friend me on Facebook, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, check out my personal non-Flickering Myth affiliated Patreon, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
