Wonder has no qualms about tugging forcefully on your heartstrings, aiming to melt your nervous system down into a puddle of emotion numerous times throughout its 113 minute runtime. An American drama adapted, co-written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, Wonder looks set to be the designated year-end weepie that warms your heart when the weather outside chills. Starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay, all of whom have experienced their fair share of cinematic whiffs in the last 18 months, is Wonder as remarkable as its title suggests?
Ostracised due to his physical appearance caused by a rare facial deformity, Auggie Pullman (Tremblay) conceals himself under an astronaut helmet and dreams of outer space. Protected by his family - Isabel (Roberts), Nate (Wilson) and Via (Izabela Vidovic) - he must learn to fend for himself against bullies and embrace his difference when he finally starts school in the fifth-grade.
Chbosky, responsible for one of my all-time favourites in Perks of BeingNath A Wallflower, follows-up that coming-of-age story with Wonder, a, erm, coming-of-age story. While his latest effort may not be as impressive as that 2012 release, Wonder is a well-intentioned, kind-natured slice of uplifting cinema the world really seems to need at the moment. Exploring kindness, friendship, understanding and how each of us are fighting our own worthy battles, integrity runs through the very veins of this film.
Co-written with Jack Thorne and Steve Conrad, based on the best-selling novel by R.J. Palacio, Wonder is no doubt manipulative in its emotion. Subtle doesn’t enter its vocabulary. There are scenes with the sole aim of making you shed several tears and it always strives to out-emotion itself, gently pulverising its audience until they are left an emotional, blubbering wreck by the time the credits rolled. Its constant determination and out-pouring of emotion is a little too much for me in all honesty, to the point where I felt the film struggled to breathe thematically, scuffling to really make the most out of its subject matter. I'm almost certainly in the minority with that mindset but it didn't quite fall into place for me.
Benefiting no-one is the clunky one-liners that the writers roll out every other scene or so. It's sentimental almost to a fault, laying on the sweetness thick through some forced, heavy-handed dialogue that held it - nay, me, rather - back. Everything's design to wring the most amount of emotional intensity out of it; you can almost see the checklist in hand, with the writers wading through the conventions and formulas needed to deliver the most poignant, unfortunately sanitised, occasionally one-note exploration of tweens and genes.
Furthermore, Wonder lands one character development (regression?) so misjudged and extreme that everything that follows regarding the character's arc irritated me deeply, despite a fine performance from the person in question. There's no coming back from a statement as severe as the one this character drops, but they are later forgiven; while characteristic of the film and one of its most important messages, I couldn't forgive so easily. It frustrated me to no end and could have easily been averted, with a number of options that would have been more suited to the actual character.
But.
While my issues with Wonder prevented it from becoming anything more than 'good', it is difficult to really take major offence with a film as warm, considerate and hopeful as it is. It continually strives to paint a hopeful, optimistic picture while reminding us that our flaws and personal battles are just as important. It has a number of fantastic performances; Tremblay (his best since his break-out in Room), Roberts and Wilson each provide one of their strongest turns in recent years and - along with the impressive, future star Vidovic - conjuring a believable family dynamic that helps sell the film and its poignant moments. You believe in this family unit and see glimpses of your own in them, from the inter-relationships and conversations between various members. A lot is demanded to convince you of the emotion so crucial to the story and the cast succeed in conveying it effectively.
Noah Jupe, following strong performances in Suburbicon and The Night Manager, is terrific once again here, illustrating his talent with a more subtle performance that many younger ones may struggle to balance. I cheered when Millie Davis, of Orphan Black fame, appeared and she's strong here, delivering a sparky performance as Summer. There's some forced, awkward performances elsewhere from the younger cast but nothing too difficult to endure. On the whole, the ensemble is solid and help alleviate some of the writing issues.
Wonder's structure infuses the film with some energy. Breaking it down into sections to explore each of the characters' story in more detail, it allows a change in perception that the film benefits from, unshackling itself from the otherwise formulaic approach. While this can be frustrating when some stories are left unanswered and narrative threads are left hanging, the adjustment in pace when the tone often remains static, is a welcome change and relief.
Chbosky's direction doesn't feature the cinematic sheen or timeless quality of Wallflower but does contain some lovely flourishes and great storytelling devices: it explores Auggie's fantasy world - one that has become a safe haven for him and his family - well, complete with space travel and Star Wars characters. Visually rosy, its bright and airy aesthetics are a perfect match for the tone and themes that pervade throughout Wonder. Marcelo Zarvos' soundtrack does help develop this emotion and lightness well too.
Critiquing a film like Wonder is difficult: it is so well-intentioned and there is a fair bit to like about it, lifted by some fantastic performances and a skilled director - but its flaws are glaring at times and the screenplay in all its floweriness is constructed solely to wring every tear out of its audience. Because I could sense how hard it was working to do that, the power and potency was somewhat diluted for me, as it willingly ticked off conventions and coming-of-age tropes. Generally speaking though, Wonder is a gentle, spirited and kind film concerned with uplifting themes and messages. Make no mistake, it will certainly warm your heart this winter even when I found myself resisting.
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Summary: Wonder is flawed, twee and manipulative in its emotion; but it is undeniably kind-hearted and well-intentioned, making for a solid, uplifting piece of cinema designed to warm your heart and fill you with joy.
Ostracised due to his physical appearance caused by a rare facial deformity, Auggie Pullman (Tremblay) conceals himself under an astronaut helmet and dreams of outer space. Protected by his family - Isabel (Roberts), Nate (Wilson) and Via (Izabela Vidovic) - he must learn to fend for himself against bullies and embrace his difference when he finally starts school in the fifth-grade.
Chbosky, responsible for one of my all-time favourites in Perks of Being
Co-written with Jack Thorne and Steve Conrad, based on the best-selling novel by R.J. Palacio, Wonder is no doubt manipulative in its emotion. Subtle doesn’t enter its vocabulary. There are scenes with the sole aim of making you shed several tears and it always strives to out-emotion itself, gently pulverising its audience until they are left an emotional, blubbering wreck by the time the credits rolled. Its constant determination and out-pouring of emotion is a little too much for me in all honesty, to the point where I felt the film struggled to breathe thematically, scuffling to really make the most out of its subject matter. I'm almost certainly in the minority with that mindset but it didn't quite fall into place for me.
Benefiting no-one is the clunky one-liners that the writers roll out every other scene or so. It's sentimental almost to a fault, laying on the sweetness thick through some forced, heavy-handed dialogue that held it - nay, me, rather - back. Everything's design to wring the most amount of emotional intensity out of it; you can almost see the checklist in hand, with the writers wading through the conventions and formulas needed to deliver the most poignant, unfortunately sanitised, occasionally one-note exploration of tweens and genes.
Furthermore, Wonder lands one character development (regression?) so misjudged and extreme that everything that follows regarding the character's arc irritated me deeply, despite a fine performance from the person in question. There's no coming back from a statement as severe as the one this character drops, but they are later forgiven; while characteristic of the film and one of its most important messages, I couldn't forgive so easily. It frustrated me to no end and could have easily been averted, with a number of options that would have been more suited to the actual character.
But.
While my issues with Wonder prevented it from becoming anything more than 'good', it is difficult to really take major offence with a film as warm, considerate and hopeful as it is. It continually strives to paint a hopeful, optimistic picture while reminding us that our flaws and personal battles are just as important. It has a number of fantastic performances; Tremblay (his best since his break-out in Room), Roberts and Wilson each provide one of their strongest turns in recent years and - along with the impressive, future star Vidovic - conjuring a believable family dynamic that helps sell the film and its poignant moments. You believe in this family unit and see glimpses of your own in them, from the inter-relationships and conversations between various members. A lot is demanded to convince you of the emotion so crucial to the story and the cast succeed in conveying it effectively.
Noah Jupe, following strong performances in Suburbicon and The Night Manager, is terrific once again here, illustrating his talent with a more subtle performance that many younger ones may struggle to balance. I cheered when Millie Davis, of Orphan Black fame, appeared and she's strong here, delivering a sparky performance as Summer. There's some forced, awkward performances elsewhere from the younger cast but nothing too difficult to endure. On the whole, the ensemble is solid and help alleviate some of the writing issues.
Wonder's structure infuses the film with some energy. Breaking it down into sections to explore each of the characters' story in more detail, it allows a change in perception that the film benefits from, unshackling itself from the otherwise formulaic approach. While this can be frustrating when some stories are left unanswered and narrative threads are left hanging, the adjustment in pace when the tone often remains static, is a welcome change and relief.
Chbosky's direction doesn't feature the cinematic sheen or timeless quality of Wallflower but does contain some lovely flourishes and great storytelling devices: it explores Auggie's fantasy world - one that has become a safe haven for him and his family - well, complete with space travel and Star Wars characters. Visually rosy, its bright and airy aesthetics are a perfect match for the tone and themes that pervade throughout Wonder. Marcelo Zarvos' soundtrack does help develop this emotion and lightness well too.
Critiquing a film like Wonder is difficult: it is so well-intentioned and there is a fair bit to like about it, lifted by some fantastic performances and a skilled director - but its flaws are glaring at times and the screenplay in all its floweriness is constructed solely to wring every tear out of its audience. Because I could sense how hard it was working to do that, the power and potency was somewhat diluted for me, as it willingly ticked off conventions and coming-of-age tropes. Generally speaking though, Wonder is a gentle, spirited and kind film concerned with uplifting themes and messages. Make no mistake, it will certainly warm your heart this winter even when I found myself resisting.
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
(6/10)
Summary: Wonder is flawed, twee and manipulative in its emotion; but it is undeniably kind-hearted and well-intentioned, making for a solid, uplifting piece of cinema designed to warm your heart and fill you with joy.