Enormously entertaining, WAKE UP DEAD MAN offers more than a good murder mystery, delving into the soulful with an ex-boxer priest, playing excellently by Josh O’Connor, seeking his own forgiveness and an unforgiving monsignor, played menacingly by Josh Brolin, with his own little kingdom in a Gothic church isolated in a rural upstate New York that feels straight out of “The Headless Horseman.” Rian Johnson’s third installment in his Knives Out mystery series may be his best yet, featuring his droll Southern detective Beniot Blanc, the two Joshes and a star-studded cast of supporting players including Glen Close, Andrew Scott, and more.
A murder in a church sounds wrong but in Rian Johnson’s capable hands it turns into the perfect place in a story that pits faith and love against power and evil. The Gothic setting lends itself well to the tale of long-buried secrets and hidden motives in this isolated, claustrophobic small community. But director/writer Johnson makes you wait a bit for the crime and the detective, focusing first on Josh O’Connor’s priest as he grapples with his spiritual journey, trying to put love at the forefront, and overcoming the rage that led to him killing a man in the boxing ring.
To help him in wrestling those inner spiritual demons, and to help the church to unravel the curious goings-on at a remote little parish, his bishop (an unexpectedly darkly funny Jeffrey Wright) gives the young priest his first assignment. Not to replace the mysterious long-time priest, a monsignor, at that ancient church but as to be the assistant priest, and perhaps figure out what is happening there.
Josh O’Connor’s priest starts out with a firm belief in the power of love but a more knowing eye for human failings, his own and others. He arrives at the ancient church, which looks more like it was transported whole, complete with churchyard graves, from old England than something in New England. Josh Brolin’s parish priest gives the newcomer a chilly greeting, insisting on being called monsignor, and immediately asking him to hear his confession, a scalding one that leaves the young priest staggering. The battle of the Joshes is on.
Rian Johnson spins out this tale brilliantly, crafting the characters and the mystery to draw you in, and adding plenty of humor and twists along the way. Daniel Craig’s detective arrives a bit late but from that point on, the film takes the brakes off for a wild, massively entertaining ride, while still keeping it’s good versus evil. Figuring out who is good and who is evil is part of the fun.
Reportedly, this is the last of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out mysteries, which is disappointing news if true. This mystery is the best of the series, demonstrating the elastic nature of the genre and showcasing Johnson’s considerable talent.
Of course, that is aided mightily by the wonderful cast, especially first-rate performances from Josh O’Connor, who is really having a year, and Daniel Craig, as the clever, quipping detective. Some of best moments are between these two, as the believer debates the non-believer, in dialog that is both though-provoking and entertaining. Who wants to see that kind of film-making come to an end?
WAKE UP DEAD MAN opens Wednesday, Nov. 26, in theaters.
Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris in “Swan Song,” premiering globally on Apple TV+ on December 17, 2021. Courtesy of Apple TV+
Mahershala Ali plays a man with a fatal disease who is offered an option to spare his family grief, in the science fiction romance SWAN SONG. Naomie Harris plays the sick man’s wife, Poppy, and Glenn Close plays the scientist who runs the facility who offers that option, in this drama written and directed by Benjamin Cleary.
Curiously, this is the second film this year with this title, the other being a bittersweet indie dramedy about a retired hairdresser who escapes froma nursing home for one last job. This SWAN SONG is a romantic drama with a science fiction bent but largely an acting showcase for Mahershala Ali, who serves as one of the film’s producers. His character is the center of this emotionally-laden story, which touches more on philosophical issues that science ones, meaning its appeal more to fans of romantic drama than science fiction.
The film takes place in a futuristic world where technology is a dominate feature. Everyone has high-tech glasses, watches and homes, AI robots with personality bring snacks on the commuter train, and personal cars have been replaced by driver-less car taxis that have no front or back and can drive in either direction. Despite all the high-tech gear, much of the rest of this world seems much like ours, making it easier to focus on the human story at its heart.
We meet Cameron (Mahershala Ali) as he is facing a health crises and a terminal diagnosis, although his main symptom seems to be periodic collapses and what appear to be seizures. Somehow, he has been able to conceal his illness and diagnosis from his artist wife Poppy (Naomie Harris) and young son, but now he faces a choice. With his time running short, his doctor has referred him to a scientist running a new program, which might offer another option to a difficult conversation with his family.
That option, as the movie’s trailer reveals, is a perfect copy to take his place. Whether this copy is mechanical or biological, the film does not say, and exploring the real science possibilities behind that is not something the film is interested in doing. In another film, all this technology, and especially that choice being offered with which he is grappling, could go down a sinister path. In fact, the facility to which the central character travels while making his difficult choice is in remote location that looks creepily similar to the one in EX MACHINA. However, the focus on this drama is more on the man’s emotional struggle, as he recalls meeting his wife, their romance and his family life.
While there is an sci-fi aspect to this film, the slant is more emotional, philosophical and sadly romantic, just with a futuristic twist. The film never really tries to explain any underlying science, neither his medical condition nor the technological being offered, and exploring it’s far-fetched aspects would just introduce spoilers. The film simply asks us to accept its premise, the result being that we focus instead on the man’s emotional, existential and moral struggle with his decision.
It gives Mahershala Ali a lot of material to work with, and he brings all his dramatic skills to bear on that. This film is definitely a tear-jerker but there are lighter, romantic moments too, as it revisits the couple’s meet-cute on a commuter train, and recaps their romance and life together, scenes often laced with humor and a bubbly charm, a lot of that supplied by Naomie Harris and the young actor playing their quirky-cute son.
Glen Close plays Dr. Scott, the facility’s director, striking the right notes to build tension with a perfect mix of warm concern and underlying creepiness, as Ali’s character goes on his emotional roller-coaster journey. Awkwafina, who plays another patient at the facility who has already made her decision, seems to be there to provide a companion on that journey and lend some lighter moments but she is largely wasted in the role. Adam Beach does well in his smaller role as a psychologist at the facility.
Mahershala Ali gives a fine performance, and the scenes between him and Naomie Harris are touching. Primarily, this is a showcase for Ali’s considerable acting talent and a film with more to offer fans of romantic tear-jerkers than science fiction.
SWAN SONG opens Friday, Dec. 17, in theaters and streaming on Apple TV+.
While most families have somehow forged closer bonds during the pandemic, with older children returning to the nest to “ride out” the lockdowns while making sure all health measures are taken, one problem continues to push loved ones apart, the ever=present scourge of drug addiction. In most of the crime dramas of the last century, addicts filled the gutters and alleyways while the pushers used all matter of violence to control those dark streets. Then a curious thing happened in the last couple of decades. The specter of substance abuse oozed into the supposed-to-be-safe suburbs and even rural areas. Some media commentators have labeled it the “opioid epidemic, an apt subtitle for this new “inspired by true events” family drama. But at its heart, it’s a look at the tested bond between mother and daughter that tries to remain strong during what they hope will be FOUR GOOD DAYS.
At a well-kept two-story home in clean. tree-lined neighborhood, Deb (Glenn Close) is jolted awake by someone pounding on the front door in the early post-dawn hours. She has a hunch about the visitor, so she persuades hubby Chris (Stephen Root) to stay in bed. Peering through the door’s “spy hole”, Deb sees her long-absent eldest daughter Molly (Mila Kunis). After opening the door “just a touch”, Deb is greeted with pleas from the disheveled Molly to let her come in and “crash” for a day or so. Ah but this has happened before, so Deb insists that Molly gets “clean” and kicks her drug addiction before she offers shelter or money. Molly remains steadfast and refuses to walk away to a clinic or hospital, then proceeds to “camp out” on the front doorstep. Deb and Chris go about their day (luckily it’s her day off as a masseuse at the local casino’s spa, and he’s retired), though she observes Molly through different windows. Early the next morning Deb checks and a shivering Molly is still huddled near the door. Mom relents, and over a cup of coffee, Molly insists she’ll get clean with her help. The duo head to the hospital where a doctor suggests a somewhat radical treatment. He can inject Molly with an opioid antagonist, which will prevent her from being high. Oh, but there’s a big catch. Her system has to be clean of any drugs for the next four days, otherwise, the “blocker” could prove lethal. They both agree and return home and begin a grueling 96-hour battle of wills, one that may finally save Molly and mend the shattered relationship with Deb and the rest of the family.
The role of a middle-aged, still working-class mother (and grandmother) feels like a decent fit for the talented Close, whose tired but still engaged (watch them dart about in several unlikely settings) eyes reveal Deb’s pain and regret. And still, she draws us in with that glimmer of hope, wanting us to also believe that this lifeline to Molly will be the one that returns her to the sober world. It’s not until the story’s frantic final act that the source of that regret is revealed, as Deb blames her past decisions (including an escape from an abusive first marriage) for leading her daughter down a destructive path. Close projects quiet strength, but still reveals Deb’s fragile, uneasy state. She’s got a compelling screen sparring partner in the definitely “cast against type” Kunis who graduated from sultry comic bombshells in TV’s “That 70’s Show” and films such as EXTRACT and FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL to one of the manic BAD MOMS, though her dramatic screen work has been rare. She totally commits to Molly, eschewing any sense of glamour with her deep grey sunken eyes, chipped “parking lot” teeth (which Molly tries to hide in her early scenes), and stringy bleached-blonde green-tipped hair. But it goes behind the looks. Kunis has a look of scheming desperation creeping through her “half-mast” dark eyelids. We never quite know if she really wants to be clean, or if she’s just going through the motions while waiting for a chance for her inner demons to strike out. Regret also figures into her demeanor, as she seems to ponder all the years spent in limbo as she chain-smokes in Deb’s open garage over a TV table jigsaw puzzle (that’s an apt metaphor for Molly). Another pleasant dramatic surprise is the always-watchable Root who makes Chris more than the affable supportive second spouse. It kills him to see his love going down a familiar path of heartbreak which spurs him to fight, even if it means angering her, at one point prodding her with “You wanna’ fight me? Go ahead!!”. Kudos are also due to another usually comic actress Carla Gallo who plays Molly’s sardonic kid sister, whose mother Deb almost ignores in her Molly mission (Deb’s never in the moment with her). There’s a lot of truly creative casting at work in this film.
They’re all guided with great sensitivity by director Rodrigo Garcia who also co-wrote the screenplay with Ed Saslow, which is based on his acclaimed 2016 Washington Post piece “How’s Amanda? A Story of Truth, Lies, and American Addiction”. The story tends to flit about, perhaps trying to compress too much in that very long weekend. Yes, we can accept those dental “temps”, but a chance drug store meeting with a high school teacher, leading to Molly addressing an often disinterested class feels a bit rushed. That’s especially the case when one of her demands leads to a perilous trek into the “bad part of turn” (though tidier than most) that tries to amp up the suspense by taking Deb way out of her comfort zone. The tension continues with a third act twist, leading to a fairly standard rehash of the TERMS OF ENDEARMENT hospital clashes. In turn, this dovetails into a denouncement that comes off as flat and compromised. Perhaps the final fadeout shot wants to proclaim that the challenge is far from done, but it feels a tad cold. Still Close and Kunis make an interesting “home’ team, and for their fans, FOUR GOOD DAYS is a worthy exploration of a health crisis that continues to claim lives and families.
2.5 out of 4
FOUR GOOD DAYS opens in select theatres and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas beginning Friday, April 30, 2021.
FOUR GOOD DAYS is an emotional journey based on a true story by Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post writer Eli Saslow. Check out the trailer:
31-year-old Molly begs her estranged mother Deb for help fighting a fierce battle against the demons that have derailed her life. Despite all she has learned over a decade of disappointment, grief and rage, Deb throws herself into one last attempt to save her beloved daughter from the deadly and merciless grip of heroin addiction. Powerhouse performances from Glenn Close and Mila Kunis anchor director Rodrigo García’s poignant and unpredictable chronicle of mother and daughter fighting to regain the love and trust that once held them together.
FOUR GOOD DAYS stars Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Stephen Root, Joshua Leonard, and Sam Hennings
J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso), a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale Law student, is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis forces him to return to the home he’s tried to forget. J.D. must navigate the complex dynamics of his Appalachian family, including his volatile relationship with his mother Bev (Amy Adams), who’s struggling with addiction. Fueled by memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Glenn Close), the resilient and whip-smart woman who raised him, J.D. comes to embrace his family’s indelible imprint on his own personal journey.
Based on J.D. Vance’s #1 New York Times Bestseller and directed by Academy Award winner Ron Howard, with a screenplay by Vanessa Taylor, HILLBILLY ELEGY is a powerful personal memoir that offers a window into one family’s personal journey of survival and triumph. By following three colorful generations through their unique struggles, J.D.’s family story explores the highs and lows that define his family’s experience.
Ron Howard’s team included casting by Carmen Cuba, Music Supervisor Joe Rudge, Music by Hans Zimmer & David Fleming, Costume Designer Virginia B. Johnson, Edited by James D. Wilcox, ACE, Production Designer Molly Hughes and Director of Photography Maryse Alberti.
Jeremy Irons as Claus von Bülow in REVERSAL OF FORTUNE is currently available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive. Ordering info can be found HERE
Did European aristocrat Claus von Bulow (Jeremy Irons) try to murder his wife, Sunny (Glenn Close), at their luxurious Newport mansion in 1980? Tabloids of the day had their opinions. “You have one thing in your favor,” defense attorney Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver) told von Bulow. “Everybody hates you.” Written for the screen by Nicholas Kazan (Fallen, At Close Range), directed by Barbet Schroeder (Single White Female) and based on Dershowitz’s book, Reversal of Fortune is the acclaimed filmization of events that had all of America talking. For his precise portrait of icy brittleness, Irons won the Best Actor Academy Award as well as the Los Angeles and National Society of Film Critics Awards. Think you know the truth? Until you watch.you have no idea.
Extras include Original Theatrical Trailer (HD) and feature commentary by Director Barbet Schroeder and Screenwriter Nicholas Kazan
Glenn Close gives one of the best performances of her career in THE WIFE, a drama exploring the relationship of a long-married couple as the husband, a famous author, is awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. The drama peels back the layers of the relationship and the inner life of the wife, while exploring society’s shifting attitudes towards women’s careers, with both gripping performances and an engrossing and timely story.
There is that old saying “behind every great man is a great woman,” a phrase that seems to praise that woman while also leaving her in his shadow. The relationship between brash famous author husband Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce) and his quiet, elegant wife Joan (Glen Close) seems the epitome of that saying. The couple is also a study in contrasts: Joe is outgoing, egotistical and loves the spotlight, while Joan is shy, self-effacing and reserved. Yet it is clear from the first scenes that Joe is barely functional without his wife, who organizes his life as well as smoothing over the many ruffled feathers Joe leaves in his wake. Like many long-married couples, there is a kind of short-hand between them, and there is also a mix of affection and annoyance on the part of the wife.
Joe winning the Nobel Prize in 1992, a time of expanding opportunities for women, brings other tensions to the surface, feelings and facts that Joan has been struggling to ignore. It is more than emotional support and organization that Joan brings to her marriage to Joe. Once a promising author herself, she chose to bury her own ambitions when she married Joe, and instead put her energy into promoting his career. It is a decision many women of her generation made, one with a high cost for the truly talented.
Swedish director Bjorn Runge and scriptwriter Jane Anderson turn Meg Wolitzer’s gripping 2003 novel into a compelling drama that not only captures to nature of this kind of traditional martial arrangement but also on the disparate treatment female and male authors receive from publishers and from readers in the earlier eras. But lest you think this is something from the distant past, when women authors like George Sand had to write under a man’s name, remember that the author of the Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowlings, used a gender-neutral pen name to avoid that very prejudice. In the case of Joan Castleman, once a promising writer in college in the 1950s, giving up the battle for recognition to join forces with a male author, a published college professor who already seemed on his way to literary success, might have seemed like a good compromise. Certainly it is a compromise talented women had been making for generations, subsuming their own ambitions to serve the career of a husband.
Still, the film’s strong suit is Glenn Close’s performance. Close has been nominated for Oscars six times without winning and her performance here has the goods to finally nab her the win. Close plays a woman who is often opaque to those around her, the one who diplomatically steps in to smooth over gaffs by her famous husband and then fades back into her background role as supportive wife. But Close always gives one the feeling it is a role Joan is playing, and that both intelligence and secrets lie beneath her polished surface. In Stockholm, under the pressures of the Nobel Prize hoopla, Joan’s facade and reserve start to crack, finally exploding in emotional fury. Close conveys all Joan’s complex feelings, and her turmoil underneath as well as the polished surface, with brilliance.
Close goes through a range of emotions – frustration, affection, opaque reserve, patience, rage – as Joan, a woman who has made a kind of pact with her husband which seemed like the best choice at the time. The flashback sequences both describe how that happened and illustrate the daunting obstacles that ambitious women writers faced in the repressive, sexist atmosphere of the 1950s and early’60s. To Joan, it looked much easier to marry a rising writer than to become one.
Close is teamed with Jonathan Pryce as her husband, a pairing that could not be better. Close and Pryce are excellent together, but the film is really Close’s. Pryce provides the perfect foil for Close’s fine, nuanced performance, right there in their shared scenes but never trying to steal her fire. The delicacy of that casting is part of why now is the right moment for this film, and why it took ten years to make it. Ten years ago it was hard to find an actor of big enough standing to star in a supporting role in a film titled THE WIFE.
From time to time, the film flashes back to the couple’s early days, giving us insights on how they arrived at this point. Those segments begin when the couple met, when she was a promising student in his creative writing class at an East Coast university. Annie Starke plays the young Joan, while Harry Lloyd plays the young Joe. Young Joan is both talented and beautiful, capturing the professor’s attention despite the fact that he is married. The pair’s romance also reflects a literary trend of the time, mirroring post-WWII social changes, with a brash young man from a working-class Jewish family becoming romantically involved with a blonde young woman from an upper-class WASP family.
Starke, who is also Glen Close’s daughter, does well outlining young Joan’s meek but ambitious character, and the resemblance between them helps as well. Harry Lloyd, who will be familiar to some from his role as Viserys Targaryen on “Game of Thrones,” plays the younger Joe as a dominant personality, even a bully, divorcing his wife to marry talented, pliant Joan, and laying the foundation for the older couple’s relationship. Elizabeth McGovern delivers a memorable performance, as a frustrated woman author whose career is doomed by the sexist literary attitudes of the late ’50s and early ’60s, in a pivotal scene for Joan.
Also helping fill in the picture of the Castleman’s marriage is Nathaniel Bone (Christian Slater), an oily would-be biographer who has trailed them to Stockholm, probing for background for his book, and their grown son David (Max Irons), an aspiring author brooding over the father’s lack of approval. David’s presence draws out details of family dynamics, while Nathaniel’s efforts to cozy up to Joan provide some entertaining and revealing scenes for Close’s character.
THE WIFE is a striking drama delving into the heated emotional territory of one long-married couple’s relationship but set against the sweeping social changes towards the creative work of women since the last half of the previous century. Even more, THE WIFE is a tour-de-force showcase for the considerable talents of one woman, Glenn Close, a performance that could win her that long-deserved Oscar.
THE WIFE, in English and Swedish with English subtitles, opens Friday, Sept. 7, at Plaza Frontenac Cinema.
Owen Wilson (“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Zoolander 2”) and Ed Helms (“The Hangover” films, “We’re the Millers”) star in the Alcon Entertainment comedy “Father Figures,” marking the directorial debut of veteran cinematographer Lawrence Sher (“The Hangover” films).
Wilson and Helms are Kyle and Peter Reynolds, brothers whose eccentric mother raised them to believe their father had died when they were young. When they discover this to be a lie, they set out together to find their real father, and end up learning more about their mother than they probably ever wanted to know.
The film also stars J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”), comedian Katt Williams, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback-turned-actor Terry Bradshaw, Ving Rhames (the “Mission Impossible” films), Harry Shearer (“The Simpsons”), and Oscar nominee June Squibb (“Nebraska”), with Oscar winner Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter”), and Oscar nominee Glenn Close (“Albert Nobbs,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”) as the twins’ mother.
Sher directed from a screenplay by Justin Malen (“Office Christmas Party”). Sher’s behind-the-scenes team included director of photography John Lindley (“St. Vincent”), production designer Stephen H. Carter (art director, “Birdman”), editor Dana E. Glauberman (“Draft Day”), and two-time Oscar nominated costume designer Julie Weiss (“Frida,” “Twelve Monkeys”). The music was composed by Rob Simonsen (“Foxcatcher”).
“Father Figures” will open in theaters on December 22, 2017.
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of FATHER FIGURES on December 20 at 7:00 pm in the St. Louis area.
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house.
Rated R for language and sexual references throughout.
With the big end of the year holidays still a couple of weeks away, what kind of big event can gather a big family (or a diverse acting ensemble)? It’s gotta’ be a comedy so a funeral is probably out of the question, although both the British and US versions of DEATH AT A FUNERAL are pretty darned hilarious. No, there’s got to be a romantic angle, so the setting should probably be a wedding. Film makers have used them for lots of comedies that are ripe with conflict from all the versions of FATHER OF THE BRIDE to those big cast showcases like Robert Altman’s A WEDDING and the big, big superstar-studded , appropriately named THE BIG WEDDING just three years ago. And like that flick, some of the exes are involved, upping the tension and making for THE WILDE WEDDING that lives up to its name (spelling explained shortly).
Laying out the clustered family tree is teenage film maker Mackenzie (Grace Van Patten), who, conveniently for the audience, is making a documentary of the event for her grandmother (don’t call her that), celebrated film actress Eve Wilde (Glenn Close). Mackenzie is the daughter of one of three sons that Eve had with her first husband, stage icon Lawrence Darling (John Malkovich). Eve is about to tie the knot with her fourth husband, renown British author Harold (Patrick Stewart). He’s not big on show biz, so his two twenty-something daughters quiz him on Eve’s career during the trip to the swanky wooded estate where the ceremony will take place. Mackenzie’s uncles are the bumbling single dad Jimmy (Noah Emmerich) and actor/ladies man Ethan (Peter Facinelli). She lives her father Rory (Jack Davenport), a semi-retired songwriter/musician who was part of a rock band headlined by ex-wife (and Mack’s mum) Priscilla (Minnie Driver), who kept the band. She’s remarried and has a pre-teen son named Sam. Oh, and did I mention that Mackenzie pines for her cousin, Eve’s nephew, Dylan (Tim Boardman). But with an ex-wife and an ex-husband in attendance, that’s the least of the scandals and forbidden hook-ups that will occur during the wedding eve. But if everything went smoothly…well. where’s the fun in that?
For classic film fans, this isn’t quite the DANGEROUS LIAISONS reunion they may have been waiting for over the past (nearly) thirty years. Close is radiant as the former screen queen (certainly more content and, er, stable than her former stage role of Norma Desmond), but she has little to do other than gaze longingly at her former and future mates. We hear of her other adored movie roles, but other than a soliloquy to the bathroom mirror, there’s just talk. Malkovich gets a nice reprieve from the usual oddballs (the RED flicks) as a guy who’s more grounded, but will go into a theatrical gesture with little prompting (usually as he recounts another stage award). Stewart, sporting a ridiculous permed wig, is amusing as a stuffy, pompous jerk, maybe a refined version of the rom-com “Baxter” cliché’, but he’s mostly baffled and befuddled. As for the grown sibs and spouses, Driver gets to indulge in some campy diva behavior as the preening rocker that over-indulges in every excess. Of the three grown sons, Davenport projects an easy-going everyman vibe, as a fella’ who doesn’t need the spotlight any longer. The other actors don’t fare as well. Emmerich is a clumsy boob who moons over a bus driver (their eyes meet for a split-second, so he’s on the phone with her transit company), while squawking “get a ‘pre-nup'” to his mum. Facinelli is the “player” whose “bad boy” persona (oooo, he’s got a motorcycle, oh with a sidecar for his pooch…awww) is catnip to several of the ladies.
It’s still an impressive cast, but writer/director Damian Harris has shackled them with a story that’s calculated to hit every “sitcom-like” beat. While he’s aiming for charm, the result is more “smarm” with scenes teetering on edge of cloying and precious (let’s dance on the dining table, everyone). The opulent mansion and the surrounding woods and beach look lovely as gallons of wine are guzzled and a tin of naughty naughty chocolates are passed around (what’s that special spice). The film lurches along until the big reveal prompts an ending that would have seemed implausible and trite fifty years ago (really,everybody should have known better). And of course, two of the young lovers must leap, fully clothed, in the swimming pool near the finale’. It’s rather symbolic because despite this impeccable ensemble, THE WILDE WEDDING is all wet.
Starring together in Stephen Frears’ 1988 drama DANGEROUS LIAISONS, John Malkovich and Glenn Close reunite in the upcoming movie THE WILDE WEDDING.
Here’s a brand new look at the movie.
In THE WILDE WEDDING, now-retired film star Eve Wilde (Glenn Close) prepares for her wedding to husband number four, renowned English writer Harold Alcott (Patrick Stewart) after a whirlwind courtship.
At her upstate New York home – in the presence of both Wilde’s first husband, celebrated stage actor Laurence Darling (John Malkovich), and their collective families (Minnie Driver, Jack Davenport, Yael Stone, Peter Facinelli, Noah Emmerich, Grace Van Patten) – the long summer weekend offers the opportunity for everyone to get to know each other a bit more intimately.
As sexual sparks begin to fly, there are unforeseen consequences abound.
Directed by Damian Harris, the film will hit theaters September 15th from Vertical Entertainment.
