Wildlife

The break-up of a marriage, and thus of an entire family, through the eyes of a 14-year-old son who loves his mom and dad equally and had certainty in that family. A film about growing up faster than a young person wishes to. Paul Dano subtly and slowly follows a relatively conventional twist of fate, but he does it so sensitively that it seems autobiographical. Carey Mulligan is excellent. [Cannes] (05/10/2018)

Paul Dano stepped on a path to be a director and as his debut he presented a small, intimate movie that emanates family tragedy and personal confession. It wasn’t bad but I was more interested in the Montana visuals which looked epic in some shots including the moments when the son watches the forest burn. That was also the most powerful scene in the whole movie. I pitied the nature more that the relationship between Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal itself. Sadly the movie was about a family falling apart and not about the nature. Nevertheless Carey and Jake weren’t bad therefore the movie deserves the 3 stars rating. An interesting independent American movie that however doesn’t stand out from other movies of this kind. (09/11/2019)

For his directional debut, ambitious creator Paul Dano produced a well-made unpretentious drama. The story is based on a young boy who, despite the very tumultuous breakup of his parents, manages to save face. Paul Dano probably projected a part of himself in it. Some scenes touching on the relationship between the characters are pushed to extremely disturbing levels, which further deepens the oppressive feelings. Everything is enhanced by Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan’s remarkable acting performances. [KVIFF 2018] (06/29/2018)