When Their Husbands are Gone, the Wives Step In

Viola Davis in "Widows"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

A good filmmaker takes a movie in a certain genre and deliver what’s expected for that type of film.  A great filmmaker takes a movie from a genre and gives audiences an experience outside of the conventions that we’ve come to know within that genre, thriving on the desire to challenge viewers with something that reinvigorates a story that may have some familiar elements.

Steve McQueen is one such filmmaker with his latest project, “Widows,” a heist film that has a lot to say and doesn’t sacrifice character development and storytelling for endless thrills.

The story follows a group of women, led by Veronica Rawlings (Viola Davis), who are tasked with a heist in order to reimburse a crime boss after their husbands are killed during a robbery.

Davis emerges with full force for her blazing work.  Although the grief behind her character is visible from time to time, this is a role where Davis presents a tough and unflinching individual who will do whatever she can to complete the group’s job.  This is an intense performance that shows a don’t-mess-with-me mentality as she takes charge of her newfound partners to ensure that they don't run out of time for their task.  There’s a scene early in the film where, while preparing to attend her husband’s funeral, she lets out an extended cry of distress.  However, this is all that we see of that side of her character because after that, Davis shows that Veronica means business and can’t afford to let emotions get in the way of what she has to do, creating an understated intensity that wows you.

The rest of the actresses who play the women who are involved with the planned heist provide superb work throughout the film.  Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, and Cynthia Erivo all have a commanding chemistry with Davis and help make up a courageous quartet of characters who are pushed to the brink in order to survive, putting their lives in danger so they can avoid a worse fate.  Even when they’re each in their separate scenes, every one of them has the talent to keep the emotions and thrills of the story alive.

Outside of those four performances, there are other supporting players who also stand out, such as Colin Farrell as an idealistic, yet questionable politician; Robert Duvall as his overbearing father; Brian Tyree Henry as a fearful crime boss; and Daniel Kaluuya as his sadistic enforcer, a character of such menace that you’re put on edge whenever he appears.  It’s a terrific feat to bring together a cast this big and with this much talent, but to also have all of the cast members provide top-tier performances that don’t overshadow each other is a testament to the actors and actresses that assemble for this film.

The screenplay by McQueen and Gillian Flynn, which is based on the ‘80s British television crime-drama of the same name, shows an abundance of focus on each of the four women, allowing us to spend enough time with them as we get to learn about their lives.  Besides the overall motive to pay back the crime boss, the movie also gives us insights into more personal motives that the women have, adding a considerable about of emotional depth that helps us become absorbed in their characters as they prepare for a life-threatening task.  

Aside from the deep look at the four main characters, the story is also accomplished in giving enough attention to the other narratives that take place, which helps build depth for the additional supporting roles.  The film moves between each set of characters and has them meet in nail-biting ways, thereby creating tension amongst them that leads to a blood-pumping finale.  Between these various narratives, McQueen and Flynn also interweave a few relevant themes that enrich the story and make the movie so much more than the heist.

McQueen re-teams with editor Joe Walker (who worked with the former on “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame,” and “Hunger”), and Walker manages to capture the abrupt change of the women’s lifestyles right from the opening scene.  His editing has this sequence cut back and forth from Veronica and her husband's (Liam Neeson) tranquil life at home and the heist that claims the lives of him and his partners.  The quick transitions between the two scenes let us experience how fast the lives of the four main characters are altered, being thrust into a life of crime without much of a warning.

With Walker's editing, Sean Bobbit's cinematography (who also worked with McQueen on “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame,” and “Hunger”), and Hans Zimmer's music (who worked with McQueen on “12 Years a Slave”), McQueen is able to bring a thrill to any scene in the film.  Whether it be the initial meeting between Veronica and the crime boss, or the scenes in which Kaluuya's character shows his ruthlessness, McQueen succeeds in making us just as apprehensive with the lightning-charged, character-focused scenes, as he can with the gripping heist sequences in the film’s opening scene and third act.

"Widows" fascinates right from the start, unraveling itself bit by bit as it goes on to bring us engaging characters and wide-eyed moments of suspense and surprise.  It’s a movie that enlightens as much as it entertains.

Grade: A

Through Painting, an Artist Makes His World Come Alive

Willem Dafoe in "At Eternity's Gate"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Whenever you visit a museum, it's impossible not to be overwhelmed by the wealth of artistic achievements that have become immortal.  To stand and analyze a painting or sculpture can offer a rich experience for anyone who's lucky enough to be surrounded by such works.  The ideas that these artists put to realization allow us to wonder what sparked such bursts of imagination.

Director Julian Schnabel gifts us with this opportunity in his latest film, "At Eternity's Gate," a striking drama that lets us see the world through the eyes of one of the world's most renowned painters.

The story follows Vincent van Gogh (Willem Dafoe) during his time living in Arles and Auvers-sur-Oise, France, where he tries to create works of art that will ensure his legacy.

Dafoe gives one of his finest performances as the tortured artist.  It's an impassioned portrayal of an individual who can't imagine doing anything else other than painting, and to see the concentration that Dafoe exhibits for his character as Vincent paints gives us a look at one of the greatest creative minds at work.  He conveys van Gogh's love for making his ideas come alive, having us feel the passion that he feels whenever he turns a blank canvas into something beautiful.  As the film goes on, Dafoe invites us into van Gogh's mental anguish that causes him to be viewed as an outsider in his community, making us see the coexistence of his artistry and inner troubles, with the latter never preventing him from doing what he loves, but instead acting as somewhat of an inspiration for what he should paint next.

Within the first hour of the film, there are a couple of occasions where there's a segment that lasts for a few minutes and doesn't contain any dialogue.  In these scenes, it's just van Gogh immersing himself in the outdoors and looking for his next idea, and Dafoe shows the intense gratification of being in the open with the wind his face and the ground beneath him and letting the beauty of the natural world be his guide.  Van Gogh mentions a couple of times how he sees reality in a different way from others, and in these scenes, Dafoe shows that his character is in his own world, experiencing the tranquility that surrounds him and influences his art.   

The screenplay by Schnabel, Jean-Claude Carrière, and Louise Kugelberg offers a detailed view of van Gogh that places us right into his life and how he lives it.  Aside from the aforementioned segments of van Gogh painting and exploring the outside for ideas, the film also has many intimate conversations between van Gogh and other characters, such as artist Paul Gauguin (Oscar Isaac); his brother ,Theo (Rupert Friends); a priest (Mads Mikkelsen); his physician, Paul Gachet (Mathieu Amalric), and Madame Ginoux (Emmanuelle Seigner), the latter two of whom became subjects for van Gogh’s paintings.  Through these exchanges, the narrative provides us with an abundance of insight in regard to van Gogh, such as from where his ideas come, what's going on inside his head, and his desire to be remembered.  Each of these conversations is several minutes long, allowing for the characters to make an impact, even if a couple of them only appear for a scene or two. 

By Schanbel teaming with cinematographer Benoît Delhomme, the two offer some of the best camerawork that I'm seen all year, bringing us a fascinating look into van Gogh's existence with a mix of point-of-view shots, handheld camera movements, and intimate closeups.  The point-of-view shots provide us with an opportunity to see the beauty of the world as van Gogh sees it, making you feel as though you're living a different life as you're watching these images.  With the movie having been shot on location in Arles and Auvers-sur-Oise, you’re able to experience the gorgeous wonder of those lands as van Gogh takes them in.  It's because of these images that you must see this movie on a big screen.

The handheld photography allows for the camera to move with a freeness as van Gogh explores the outside world and all of the inspirations that it holds for an artist.  It also serves the purpose of giving us an idea of what it's like within the mental turbulence of van Gogh's mind, making us feel the disorientation that always seems to follow him.

The use of closeups, such as the ones on van Gogh, let us see the thoughts that are racing through his mind as he loses himself in his work.  When it comes to his paintings, the closeups of his portraits bring us into the colors that he's placing on his canvas, showing us the texture of the paintings and the closer details of van Gogh’s subjects.

Schnabel, who's also a painter, not only presents the film as a tribute to van Gogh, but also as a celebration of the world of painting and what it holds for anyone who feels compelled to pick up a brush, exemplifying the therapeutic nature of sitting in front of a canvas and letting your ideas run free.

Just like eternity itself, the beauty of "At Eternity's Gate" is boundless.

Grade: A

While on the Road, a Friendship is Formed

Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in "Green Book"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Peter Farrelly is a writer-director who has made a name for himself making comedies with his brother, Bobby, throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s, with two of their most notable films being 1994’s “Dumb and Dumber” and 1998s “There’s Something About Mary.”  With credits like these, you wouldn’t expect either of the Farrelly brothers to tackle heartwarming subject matter. 

For Peter's newest movie, which is a solo outing, he does.  In the biographical comedy-drama, “Green Book,” he delivers a heartfelt and surprisingly funny road movie that’s made memorable by a spirited on-screen bond between its two leads.

In the early 1960s, Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) is a bouncer at a New York nightclub.  When the club closes for renovations and Tony is out of a job, he picks up work as a chauffeur for pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali).  Frank is tasked with driving Don on a tour of performances throughout the Deep South with the help of a Green Book, a segregation-era travel guide that helps African-Americans avoid the hostility of whites-only establishments.

Mortensen gives a terrific performance as a tough-as-nails, street-smart individual who knows how to handle any person or situation that he encounters.  It’s a comedic performance where Mortensen’s finest moments come from his character trying to learn about Don and establish a friendship with him.  From his New York accent to the way that he walks, Mortensen comes across as a true Bronx native.  This role allows us to see a different side of Mortensen's acting abilities, and his emotional and humorous transition from a man who's just doing his job to a man who begins to understand Don's plight makes for a compelling transformation of his character.  Mortensen couldn't be more enjoyable to watch, and with his grasp on the character, you see him sink into Frank’s New York persona as Mortensen creates one of the most entertaining movie characters of the year.

Ali provides his character with an aura of stateliness, exemplifying someone who approaches his craft with the utmost seriousness.  Ali shows how Don won't let anyone or anything get in the way of him doing what he loves, and Ali displays Don’s passion for music as the character becomes lost in his performances, making it seem like there isn't anything else in the world besides him and his piano during those moments.

One of the most poignant factors of Ali's role is how Don is faced with being shunned from both whites and African-Americans.  The latter shun him because of his education and talents and thinking that Don thinks that he’s better than them, and the former shun him because of his race.  Ali shows the pain of someone who thinks that he doesn’t belong anywhere, only seeming to feel comfortable whenever he's on stage.  Because of this, you feel elated when he begins to open up to Tony and confide in his new friend. 

An intriguing aspect of Ali's character is how his music helps him deal with his encounters with racism.  This is exemplified in a scene where, after he's denied the chance to try on a suit at a shop in Georgia, the film then cuts right to his next performance.  The camera zooms in on Don’s face as he plays on the piano with an extra vigor this time around  Here, it doesn't seem like any of the other concert performances that we saw from Don because at this moment, he shows the anger within his facial expressions and we see that Don’s using his music as an outlet to express that frustration. 

Although the narrative unfolds like a typical crowd-pleaser for the most part, the screenplay by Farrelly, Brian Hayes Currie, and Nick Vallelonga (Frank’s son) gives us an in-depth view of Frank and Don’s friendship and provides an abundance of laughs and drama.  The story takes its time in developing the bond between the two lead characters, giving us humorous interactions and then leading into more dramatic territory as the two begin to understand each other.  Despite the drama of the film, the story still manages to make us laugh when the time is right.  The connection that Frank and Don build is something special because, once the two hit the road, the narrative is all about them, and nobody else, allowing us to see every stop along their journey.  With the witty, emotional, and insightful conversations that the two of them share, we're given a full look into these characters' minds as they embark on this life-changing journey.

Given the subject matter with which Farrelly has worked in the past, its remarkable how well he handles such tug-at-the-heartstrings material.  This is a movie with a lot of tenderness and laughs, but Farrelly knows that the story he's telling still has to show the hardships that Don faces for being an African-American during the film's time period.  Through all of this, Farrelly's able to balance the drama and humor, with the latter feeling organic and never overstaying its welcome when it comes time to shift the focus to the hostility that Tony and Don face when they’re in the South.  This could have proven difficult for Farrelly, due to his extensive work in comedies, but he's able to pull off the tonal shifts with an impressive dexterity.

"Green Book" is a charmer of a movie that delights as much as it moves.  It treats you to the story of a friendship that overcomes the harsh realities in which it finds itself and results in a film with a road you won't be able to resist traveling.

Grade: A-

In a Conversion Program, a Young Man Tries to Hold Onto His True Self

Lucas Hedges (left) and Troye Sivan in "Boy Erased"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Three years ago, Joel Edgerton became another actor to step behind the camera and made an impressive filmmaking debut with the psychological thriller, "The Gift," in which he starred and also wrote.  After he exemplified his exciting new talents as a director, I was eager to see what kind of story he would bring to the screen next.  Now, he brings us a film that's different in all respects.

For his second go-around, Edgerton presents us with "Boy Erased,” a timely and heart-rending biographical drama that brings its urgency to life with an important story and superb performances.

Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) lives with his mother, Nancy (Nicole Kidman) and father, Marshall (Russell Crowe), in Arkansas.  When Jared's parents find out that he's gay, they sign him up for conversion therapy program, with the hopes of making him straight.  While he's there, he will have to decide whether to make his parents happy by changing, or be true to himself and risk being an outcast in his community.

Hedges, who gave a career-making supporting performance in 2016's "Manchester by the Sea," as well as other memorable supporting performances in last years's "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" and "Lady Bird,” is given the chance to show his talents in a lead role, and it's a performance that continues the promise of a long career.  Although it can become a tad distracting from time to time that Hedges doesn't use a southern accent like all of the other characters, the strength of his work is enough to make up for it.  Throughout the movie, the uncertainty of himself that Jared shows is heartbreaking to watch, as you know that he has a tough decision to make regarding whether or not to be who he wants to be.  Hedges elicits the confusion that's overtaking his life, and watching his frustration break out in a pivotal scene with the program’s head therapist (Edgerton) is an empowering scene to watch and makes you feel the relief of Jared letting his feelings out.

Kidman offers a loving performance as Jared's mother.  In this role, Kidman shows a parent who thinks that what she's doing for her son is best, but then, bit by bit, starts seeing the light that what she and her husband got Jared into is wrong.  While it's a wonderful performance to watch for the duration of the film, it's in the movie's third act where the story calls for Kidman to bring out the unconditional love and that Jared needs in his life, and the tenderness that Kidman offers the role makes us experience the warmth and support that any child deserves when facing uncertainty in their life.

Crowe gives a remarkable performance where, just like with Kidman, a lot of the substance from his role comes in the third act as he’s faced with choosing to stand by his son, or lose him.  It's a role where Crowe shows the strain of the choice with which his character is faced, making the drama between Jared and his father one of the most poignant parts of the story because of how it all comes down to both of them having to choose a route to take.

The screenplay by Edgerton, which is based on the 2016 book “Boy Erased: A Memoir,” by Garrard Conley (off of whom the character of Jared is based), goes in depth with how the conversion-therapy programs operate.  We’re shown unsettling details of the methods that are used that try to convert these youths, and it's shattering to watch the counselors try to peel away at the campers' true identities, made even more by the fact that there are still programs like this that are out there.

The story follows a non-linear narrative, which works for the story because of how Jared is given assignments that cause him to have to think back to the events that brought him to the program.  Through these scenes, we're given a view of the life that Jared was living beforehand, which shows him acknowledging the person who he is, but not knowing if he should continue being that person.

One of the most effective elements of the screenplay is how, within the last half hour, the narrative focuses on the aftermath of Jared being in the program and the triumph, as well as the heartbreak, that occurs once he's out of it.  Here, we're able to see what Jared does in order to adjust back into his life at home and how the events that happened at the camp shape his life moving forward.

Edgerton shows a wonderful transition from the thrills of "The Gift" to the hard-hitting relevancy of "Boy Erased.”  He captures the anxiety that Jared experiences as his secret begins to unravel in front of his parents, as well as the hopelessness that he feels when being forced into a place that wants him to be something that he’s not.  Afterwards, Edgerton delivers a joyous sense of liberation when Jared is set free from the camp.  With this, Edgerton provides us with an emotional look at a young man's life-changing journey about not needing to change a thing about who you are.

Grade: A-

At a Prestigious Dance Academy, Students Suffer for Their Art

Dakota Johnson in "Suspiria"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

In 1977, director Dario Argento gave us the horror film, "Suspiria," which told the story of a school of dance that harbors dark secrets.  Although it was rather thin with the story, you can't deny that it has some of the most gorgeous visuals of any horror movie, which were made possible by the stunning set design and haunting cinematography, both of which made the colors pop off of the screen and invited you into the film’s sinister world of dance.

Director Luca Guadagnino now brings us a remake that captures the strangeness and visual gorgeousness of Argento's original.  However, Guadagnino has made a movie that's so different from the original that it’s unpredictable where the story will go, and it's one of the most unsettling and intoxicating viewings that you'll have at the movies this year.

In 1977, Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) is a young woman who moves from Ohio to West Berlin to study dance under the tutelage of Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton) and her staff at a distinguished academy.  After spending some time there, Susie soon finds out that there are disturbing secrets that are hidden within the walls of the school.  Meanwhile, psychotherapist Dr. Josef Klemperer (also Swinton, but in heavy makeup and billed as Lutz Ebersdorf) begins investigating the disappearance of one of his patients, Patricia Hingle (Chloë Grace Moretz), who was a student at the academy.

Johnson, who takes up the role that was originated by Jessica Harper, shows an individual who's experiencing the world for the first time.  She calls forth a persona of someone who's more than confident in herself, despite being in a foreign land and having somewhat of a shy persona, and what makes her character so appealing is how Johnson shows how Susie is up for any challenge.  However, this isn't her only trait draws us in; Johnson also captivates in showing how there might be more to Susie than her character lets on, and the way in which Susie establishes an easy connection with Madame Blanc hints at unexpected possibilities for her character.  There’s determination in Susie to be the best, and Johnson let's that strength blaze through in her performance.

Swinton couldn't be more fascinating as the academy’s mysterious lead choreographer, who was played by Joan Bennett in the original.  Throughout the movie, you keep trying to figure out where her character is going to go, making her an enigma for which you can't end your speculation.  Even if we think that we’re aware of her intentions, we can't help but wonder what will become of her character, and we're left on edge as we try to decipher what ideas Madame Blanc has waiting in the wings of her mind.  Swinton has so much to give to her character, which emphasizes her ability to command an audience's attention and unsettle them, no matter how subdued her character might seem.

Although the remake has the same core story as the original a few scenes that are brought over from that film, the screenplay by David Kajganich offers a story that diverts so much from the source material that, at times, it seems like a remake in name only, which isn't a bad thing.  This provides us with a remake where you see that it's not trying to replicate what came before, but is instead determined to be its own entity, while still maintaining the spirit of the original.

At two and half hours, the remake is almost an hour longer than Argento’s film.  This allows for there to be much more to the story than the original, providing the opportunity for the narrative to explore certain aspects of Argento’s film in greater detail.  Two examples include having a deeper examination into the academy and how it operates, as well as a look at Susie's background and how it plays into her current situation. 

However, what contributes the most to this remake steering away from the original is how it explores the political upheaval in Berlin during the '70s.  This part of the story adds a considerable deal to the storyline involving the psychotherapist, with his storyline connecting with the narrative of the academy later in the film.  Within the political aspect of the narrative, the film explores two sets of divisions, that of east and west Berlin, and that of the academy staff trying to vote on their next leader, all of which is incapsulated in Susie's eerie lines, "It's all a mess.  The one out there…The one in here…The one that's coming.  Why is everyone so ready to think the worst is over?”  The change in location for the academy provides the film with an opportunity to have a more intriguing story of what’s happening outside of the school, whereas the academy in the original film seemed disconnected from everything else, taking place in Munich in the middle of the woods.

The cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (who worked on Guadagnino's "Call Me by Your Name" last year) has haunting imagery in abundance.  But, what's most notable about his camerawork is how he makes the most out of the story's foreign setting.  While most of the original was confined to the school, Mukdeeprom’s cinematography explores the academy's surroundings and its insides in equal measure.  We go through the streets of Berlin and the frightening corners of the academy, often following the characters in medium shots that allow us to see the fullness of the space around them and how they interact with their environments.

As a director, Guadagnino does spectacular work in bringing us into the disturbing backdrop of the academy, resulting in some of the most unsettling images and scenes that you'll see this year, all thanks to some frightening dream sequences; a scene involving a lone dancer in a mirror room that's painful to watch, to say the least; and a final half hour that puts you through a gauntlet of grotesquery.

However, one of his biggest accomplishments in the film is a climactic dance sequence that occurs within the final half hour.  The dance moves are so intricate and the visuals are so impressive that I almost didn't want the scene to end.  This is a scene that exemplifies, to the fullest extent, Guadagnino's ability to display the artistry of which the horror genre is capable, making you not want to miss one frame of his offerings, no matter how unsettling that they may be.

Although Argento's version is wonderful in its own way, Guadagnino's interpretation is a rare occurrence where the remake is superior to the original.  There's so much to unpack once the movie concludes, and it proves to be a film that could become richer upon a few re-watches.  Despite being a remake, Guadagnino's "Suspiria" offers a horror-movie experience that feels one of a kind.

Grade: A

Upon a Father's Departure, a Mother and Son Must Learn to Adapt

Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal in "Wildlife"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Movies that deal with drama within families can seem repetitive, as they might tend to focus on a lot of the same issues that could occur within those stories.  However, talented filmmakers are able to take familiarities like these and show them from a new perspective to make us look at them a different way.

Actor Paul Dano accomplishes this with his directorial debut, “Wildlife,” a drama that simmers with tension, thanks to his newfound filmmaking talents and powerful performances from its three leads.

In 1960, Jeanette Brinson (Carey Mulligan), her husband Jerry (Jake Gyllenhaal), and their son Joe (Ed Oxenbould) are living in Great Falls, Montana, having moved several times.  When Jerry is fired from his job at a country club, he’s lost at what to do for work.  Soon, he's given a low-paying job to fight a forest fire in the nearby mountains.  As Jerry’s away, Joe and his mother try to look for jobs of their own, while Joe also takes up some of his father's housework.  Although things are fine at first, Jeanette and Joe’s lives will go through changes that will alter their family forever.

Mulligan portrays her character as someone who seems to have everything together at first.  She shows her character bringing out a more self-assured side to herself once she's faced with having to take care of the household with only her son, as she’s someone who’s now aware of the once-unknown possibilities that her life has for her.  Once Jeanette begins making decisions that could damage her family's lifestyle, Mulligan shows Jeannette's awareness of the potential harm of her actions.  It's a performance where Mulligan displays her character's apparent happiness towards what she chooses to do, but could also be questioning herself behind that happiness, resulting in a performance that never fails to compel.

Gyllenhaal always seems like he has an intense power to him that remains underneath his calm exterior until it's called to come out, and his latest performance isn't any different.  As a father who takes pride in his work, Gyllenhaal brings to life a middle-class, salt-of-the-earth type of figure who does what he can to make sure that his family is taken care of.  Gyllenhaal brings across Jerry's admirable work ethic, which makes us feel a more potent emptiness within him as he remains at a loss of what to do with himself until he's provided with his new job.  When it gets to the point of whether Jerry's determination to work is all for his family or for himself, Gyllenhaal succeeds in having that aspect of his character stick in our minds for the duration of the film.

Oxenbould exhibits unwavering confidence when acting alongside talents like Mulligan and Gyllenhaal.  Throughout the film, Oxenbould shows how much his character’s trying to hold his family together before and after his father leaves, showing both the strength and the burden that comes with having to become an adult at such a young age.  Oxenbould shows a naturalism in handling the film's dramatic material, and his ability to sink into his character makes it easy for us to experience the sense of Joe's home life shifting around him and see him try to keep it in balance.

The screenplay by Dano and actress Zoe Kazan (also Dano’s partner), which is based on Richard’s Ford’s 1990 novel of the same name, shows how this family that seems to be happy hasn’t been so for a while.  We’re given small details into what this family has dealt with in the past and see how all of this influences the events of the film.  We learn about how the Brinsons have moved several times and restart their lives, and this all ties into theme of the film, which is the necessity of knowing how to adapt to significant changes in one’s life.  Just like the fire that's making it's way towards Great Falls a little bit each day, such is the case with the significant changes that get closer and closer to the Brinsons.

The narrative also has you ponder the decisions that are made by the three main characters, as there are multiple reasonings behind them.  We look at the events taking place that are reshaping their lives, and the routes that the characters take from scene to scene shows us choices from the characters that make us wonder if the current circumstances leave them making these decisions because they need to, or because they want to.  This again ties back into the story's theme of having to do what's best, or what you think is best in order to adapt.

A lot of the story is told from Joe’s point of view, and by doing this, Dano and Kazan succeed in placing the audience in the difficult experiences that Joe faces, solidifying this as a superb coming-of-age story.  We're left to feel the impact of what Joe's witnessing as the peaceful life that he knows reveals sides to his parents that he didn't know were there, and to have the narrative's events be shown through his eyes gives us a better sense of how his family's instability effects his innocence.

The cinematography by Diego García offers several beautiful shots of Montana from high in the sky as we see the small town below and the fields and towering mountains in the distance, the images of which emphasize Dano and Kazan’s metaphorical approach to the familial drama.  There’s one shot that stand outs which occurs when, in order to show the danger that Jerry is facing, Jeanette takes Joe for a drive and has him step out of the car to witness the intensity of the fire, which he can see in great detail, but from a safe distance.  As Joe gets back into the car, the camera stays on the woods and pans up, showing more and more of the fire’s incendiary power.

Throughout the film, Dano constructs scenes that capture all of the pressure that occurs within the family.  While there's a noteworthy scene here and there where the characters’ emotions have to be more forceful and we're more focused on what they're saying, Dano excels in drawing us into the scenes that require the actors to be more reserved.  Although we can still pay attention to what the characters have to say in these scenes, their subdued nature allows us to take in the smaller details of what's happening between them as we wait to see how they will recover, if at all, from what's occurring.

"Wildlife" provides an enthralling and poignant view of small-town America that exposes the hardships behind what looks like a typical family's existence, and as the movie progresses, you'll be anxious to see what remains in the ashes. 

Grade: A