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| Julianne Moore portrays older Rose in "Wonderstruck". Roadside Attractions |
Wonderstruck (2017, directed by Todd Haynes. U.S.A., English, Color/B&W, 117 minutes) The misconception about children being the main focus of a film can be that it will be written off as a kids film. Well, that's not always true (e.g. "It"). Todd Haynes' "Wonderstruck" has two kids as the protagonists in a film that is a little more deep than what could be considered kid-friendly. Haynes brings as much love and compassion to his young lead actors as he did in the forbidden love story of his last feature, "Carol", without dumbing down the characters to draw in the "Despicable Me" audience.
"Wonderstruck" tells the parallel stories of two deaf children from different decades who runaway to New York City to find the one person who means the most to them. In complete serendipity, Ben and Rose find themselves at the same museum simultaneously and decades apart. In the silent portions of the film set in the roaring '20s, Rose runs away from her controlling father to the Big Apple to meet her favorite silent film actress, Lillian Mayhew (played by Julianne Moore). In the late '70s, Ben leaves his cold Minnesota home to find his father, who was rarely spoken of by his mother before her untimely death. The stories start out 50 years about, but they eventually morph together into a lovingly sweet finale that may be a little predictable but is nonetheless enjoyable. As the saying goes, it's not about getting to the destination, it's the journey.
What I found so endearing about "Wonderstruck" was how smart and convincing the young characters were. Childhood is all about being fearless, curious, cautious, wondrous and so many other descriptors that define how we develop and learn in the big world. I witnessed all of this in "Wonderstruck" thanks to writer Brian Selznick — who adapted his own novel for the screen — and Haynes who worked in beautiful harmony together to bring us a film that opens up a world of possibilities to, in particular, younger crowds.
The strength of the film is watching the characters Ben and Rose navigate the (dangerous) streets of New York City and pressing on with a cautious amount of determination. They're wiser beyond their years and yet they're still kids at heart as they wonder around the city with the utmost fascination. At times I found a meditative quality to their adventures, à la Jim Jarmusch. We observe, we connect with the spaces, we absorb a mood. It's really about being one with the characters in a space, and "Wonderstruck" does that with wonderful young actors, understandings of who they are as people and a story that gives them room to breathe and be kids.
Another standout of the film is Julianne Moore, who pulls double duty in two silent roles as Lillian Mayhew and the older Rose. I always found Moore to have such an endearing maternal warmth to her in many of her roles, and she brings that with her to "Wonderstruck", especially as the older Rose. Even though she doesn't utter a word in either of her roles, she can exude so much empathy with just the slightest look into her beautiful face. I felt safe with her. She comforted me, she let me feel free to explore the world and then return to her to get a big hug. This is exactly what I think "Wonderstruck", both the book and the movie, tells us: we should all be able to venture out on our own knowing that we will be comforted from the chaos when we return. Children should be able to explore and improve their intellect of the real world with a warm soul to welcome them back, and adults are no different.
I find stories about kids to be the most endearing because they focus on the most impressionable and most important groups of people in the world. It was the relationships formed in the Losers Club from "It" that made me like that sad excuse of a horror film, I wanted to know more about them. Kids can be smart, so why not let them be in movies? "Wonderstruck" presents lovable little darlings in a film that has a light-hearted sensibility but with more emotional oomph and dimension to it. I was left a little wonderstruck.
Rating: B+
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