Wildlife (Paul Dano)

[Ivan Drago]

IMDB / Wiki

[Ivan Drago]

Curious for Spinal's take (for obvious reasons) but until then, here's mine.

[Peng]

Carey Mulligan is great as advertised, whose whole body and expressive face flickers between layers of anguish and exhilaration most exquisitely. But resting the film's dramatic weight almost solely on her makes for a lopsided emotional arc; Ed Oxenbould exudes a strong quiet presence, but his Joe makes him more of a sounding board for his family than a full character. Feels like something lost in (adapting) translation, as frustatingly half-developed aspects like his girl friend character at school indicate. Still quite a debut though, formally assured and devastating -- the last scene is a quiet but extreme heartbreaker. 7.5/10

[Grouchy]

It's a Yay but, to be honest, I got bored. I can't quite explain why, but the drama didn't work at all for me, although there is no denying the great performances and solid writing.

[Dukefrukem]

This severs as a great double feature with Marriage Story.

Also, fuck that wife/mom.

[Peng]

Also, fuck that wife/mom.

For that to be your takeaway from the film...

[Dukefrukem]

For that to be your takeaway from the film...

I mean, it was only 85% of the film's focus....

[Peng]

The film certainly doesn't portray her as a saint (more of a complex individual, to its benefit), but the 85% focus also means that it should be relatively easy to empathize with her as a woman put in that situation during that time period. Unless you hold her to a (much) higher standard than Jake Gyllenhaal's character, whose behaviors putting the family in that situation definitely deserves more of the "fuck 'em" scorn you directed at her.

[Dukefrukem]

The film certainly doesn't portray her as a saint (more of a complex individual, to its benefit), but the 85% focus also means that it should be relatively easy to empathize with her as a woman put in that situation during that time period. Unless you hold her to a (much) higher standard than Jake Gyllenhaal's character, whose behaviors putting the family in that situation definitely deserves more of the "fuck 'em" scorn you directed at her.

It wasn't easy at all. She has a smart son, who she constantly belittles, a job and job offers, a plan to move into a smaller house if necessary... And instead she decides to fuck a rich guy... Basically in front of her son. Her son who she totally underestimates.

She's the weakest kind of person.

[Peng]

Reading that just makes me feel sad.

[Dukefrukem]

Reading that just makes me feel sad.

Because that's my take? Or it's the reality of the story?

I think the most raw stuff is what she says and does directly in front of her son. Whether it's "he doesn't know better" or thinking she's being clever by sneaking around, when in fact, she's being the worst kind of dishonest mother/husband there is.