Acclaimed American film-maker Todd Haynes’ works mostly
focuses on interpersonal dynamics and interior lives of his characters. Instead
of portraying sweeping sociological narratives, he chooses to ponder upon
individual’s alienation and aloneness in the society through foggy, melancholic
color palettes and intimate interpersonal exchanges. I like the poetic
stillness he perpetuates throughout his aesthetics, as the narrative fragments
gradually burrows itself into story minutiae. On first look, Haynes’ recent
film Wonderstruck (2017) seems like a huge departure from his themes.
Wonderstruck is based on an illustrated YA novel by Brian Selznick (writer of
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which was adapted by Martin Scorsese). It’s an
unruffled chronicle of wonders of childhood and similar to Hugo, Wonderstruck
celebrates the silent cinema-era with a tinge of nostalgia. From his heavily
controversial and bizarre debut feature, Poison (1991) to the deeply affecting
tale of sexuality and friendship, Carol (2015), Haynes’ vision was
predominantly occupied with adult themes. While Wonderstruck couldn’t be
categorized as a movie for the over-18 crowd, it still retains Haynes’
almost-obsessive quality of capturing period and historical details, and
furthermore relies more on atmosphere and mood than particulars of the plot.
In fact, there’s not much to Wonderstruck in the form of
plot. When the plot details reach a full circle, it seems dull and frustrating
when compared with the transcendent, sublime quality of the visuals. Similar to Todd
Haynes' magnificent last feature (Carol), this film is also a period tale set
in New York who takes impressive effort to recreate smallest of the
atmospheric details. The narrative revolves around a pre-teen girl from the
1920s and a pre-teen boy in the 1970s. In 1977, 12 year old Minnesota boy Ben
(Pete’s Dragon fame Oakes Fegley) faces two huge losses back to back: his
librarian single mother (Michelle Williams) has died in an accident; Ben loses
his hearing to a strange lightning strike accident. Among his mother’s things, Ben discovers an
old book called “Wonderstruck,” about the American Museum of Natural History, situated on
Central Park West, New York. Inside the book, there’s bookmark with the address
of a bookshop. Ben hops into a bus to go to New York and hopes that the address
belongs to his absentee father.
In 1927, rich yet lonely 12-year-old Rose (Millicent Simmonds) lives with her strict father (James Urbaniak) in Hoboken, New Jersey.
She’s also deaf-mute, a detail that further advances her isolation. She finds
solace in visiting the local theater and watch films of her favorite actress,
Lillian Mayhew (Julianne Moore). The name of the actress and the title of the
movie (Daughter of The Storm) Rose watches is a nod to director D.W. Griffith (he made 'Orphans of the Storm' in 1921). Moreover, Moore's Mayhew pays rapturous homage to Lilian Gish, the great silent movie star. This part set in 1927 is silent or dialogue-free. The characters' monochromatic world and their
fiercely expressed emotions are accompanied by a orchestral score. Rose’s only
solace seems to come to its end, as the onset of talkie-cinema spreads
throughout the town. She immediately decides to take the Hudson River ferry and head to New York to
search for the star actress. Circumstances however, make Ben and Rose to pass
through American Museum of Natural History. Gradually, through the discoveries
within museum’s cabinet of marvels and dioramas, the different era kids’
profound, unbreakable connection is revealed.
Wonderstruck is one of Haynes’ predominantly music-driven work with Deodato’s
Jazz version of ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’, David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ and
also Carter Burwell’s swelling orchestral soundtrack. Music elevates sensory
nature of the proceedings, since when combined with rich visuals, the musical tracks
provides a way of knowing the characters’ innermost feelings. And, most of the
mood shifts in the film resembles that of classical music pieces with different
tempos and unanticipated operatic intensity. Despite Haynes’ marvelous showcase
of his storytelling powers, Wonderstruck falls short because of its leaden plot
that’s nowhere as fascinating or emotionally resonant as Haynes’ commitment to
lyrical aesthetics. Similar to Martin Scorsese’s virtuosic film-making style in
Hugo, director Haynes perfectly channels his film-geek jubilation and penchant
for historical details in a succinct and glorious manner. Yet, Wonderstruck’s
narrative crux feels a bit sluggish and its conflicts remain blatantly
contrived. For best and worst, the utterly simplistic family conflict at the centre looks like an ancient
museum piece. It could be admired for possessing certain singular qualities, yet the narrative keeps us at an
observational distance. While, the movie’s technical qualities extract
amazement from us, its emotional dimension never goes beyond the well-adorned
surface. Of the two historical periods, I liked the 1927 one a lot and newcomer
Millicent Simmonds’ low-key performance is much memorable and affecting.
Trailer
Wonderstruck (115 minutes) tells the tale of two isolated
children trying to find a family and fresh ways to communicate with the world.
It is at once whimsical and frustrating with unbelievably pretty compositions
and a less engaging plot-line.
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