Wildfire.
105 Mins. Starring: Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ed Oxenbould & Bill Camp. Director: Paul Dano.
1960's, small town, Great Falls, Montana, USA. Numbing loneliness and punctuated pain run through this place and the house this family wishes they could call home like a raging wildfire through a forest they can only hope and pray a coming Winter sees soon. But is that snow or ash blowing in the wind? Because in this inferno of isolation the fiery flames of passion and anger can only be douse dealt with and not fully put all the way out. This is the nature of 'Wildlife' itself. A movie as amazing aesthetically as the love of Patrica Highsmith's 'Carol'. One whose four walls and players could act on stage as a play like Denzel Washington and Viola Davis' theatrical Tony award turned Oscar winning staged play, 'Fences'. As a matter of fact rotary dial the Academy from your kitchen phone this instant. As this 'Wildlife' may just make for the 'Best Picture' movie this year. Taking it all the way to the church of Paul Schrader and Ethan Hawke's spiritual 'Taxi Driver' sequel 'First Reformed'. Praise be. And it's thanks to a class cast featuring one third of the big-three, young best dramatic actresses of this generation with real evoking feeling, Carey Mulligan (the others being of course, 'The Handmaid's Tale's' Elizabeth Moss and 'Lady Bird' herself Saorise Ronan). The most legendary legacy by the day leading man not named DiCaprio in Jake Gyllenhaal. And a veteran character actor and child star both on the opposite ends of the spectrum, but still on the A game form of their old and young lives. 'There Will Be Blood's' Paul Dano (who is going against Steve McQueen (who he starred in for '12 Years A Slave') and his wowzer 'Widows' movie this week with Steve's 'Shame' star standout Mulligan) once played a young man who wished and thought he could write the dream love of his life into a real world existence with the novel adaptation of 'Ruby Sparks'. A critical character study on the emotional abuse of relationship manipulation and actually loving someone versus falling for the idea of who you want them to be. And Dano kind of did in a way rewrite his life's love. Meeting his future, real world wife, 'Ruby' herself, 'Big Sick' actress Zoe Kazan. And now the pair partner up and adapt Richard Ford's classic novel with a spark for the script of this production which gives Dano a definitive directorial debut in this independent, inspired indie. In a year of first time acting filmmakers doing the Eastwood out of Hollywood, Dano hits the high notes like the all singing and guitar playing actor/director Bradley Cooper remaking classics for his own instant vintage, country strong stories. And now behind the camera another star is born. In this slow burning, atmospheric, cinematic classic.
Toxic masculinity and a search for our own individual identity amongst family and matrimony sandbags the stroke of a match lit love. Threatening to strike it down before it well and truly goes out. The great Gyllenhaal plays a former golf pro in the rough, but with dreams of Woods from his stunted, back nine iron-will. Now he's bunker reduced to polishing the shoes of his wealthy games elite clients. So much so he doesn't care that the knees of his Chino go to muddy s### as he works on the green like he once did for par. And swinging for the last time as his eagle becomes a mulligan he leaves Mulligan and the real life Mumford wife's son to fight fires with dollar an hour deadbeats. As he refuses to bag up groceries to provide some for his or tame the own flames in his life that has become a beer a night nursed, numb sobering truth of smoking on the porch at night and looking at the burnt orange twilight. Looking to hang his hat on an escape instead of his head, in an attempt to stop that quiet but relentless hum that calls him in unison. As the static from the tube of his television on the fritz, tuned into the news report almost metaphorically sounds like the burning forest fires themselves. Gyllenhaal at his nightcrawling, 'Stronger', 'Brokeback' best adds another classic to his cohesive catalogue. And saying more with what we read into his expression than he does with his regressed words. One poignant embrace of a moment were he hugs his son and gives him two strong, but resolutely somber pat's on the back before he jumps on the back of a truck and heads off to pickup a new life is truly telling. As Carey carries on without him and the smoke and smouldering mirrors he's left in this charred home. Spiralling and stirring a tonic mixer of cocktail dresses and napkin requested dates. One blood red jumper and lipstick moment of paranoia in the booth of an American diner over a bottle of classic Coke is a sea change moment. Precursed by her taking her son all the way out to the tree fuel bark and "standing dead" remains of the raging fires she sees her husband and his father deeming "more important" then them. There's beauty in the tragedy of this all coming to a head however. Like Mulligan tenderingly tucking a sheet into the comfortable corners of the couch her husband now takes as rough as an old coat for a pillow. And at a roadside, pulled over, pulled self together moment of a forced but still genuine smile breaking through real broken down emotion, the 'Suffragette' and 'Mudbound' marvel unafraid to get her hands dirty is also at her very best yet. A mesmerizing Mulligan is magnificent in this moment and movie. Blazing a trail for next year's 'Best Actress' bid with a powerhouse performance that is as perplexing as it is profound. Such is this life we live and lead.
Young but oxen strong Ed Oxenbould really comes of age here however in this maturing story that shows adulting and second childhoods all at the same time from parent to child and back again. The 'Paper Planes' actor is anything but that sheet thin as he really soars here. Being just as integral and important to this picture as Mulligan and Gyllenhaal if not for the sake of his and his characters future more so. The all too young to be wounded look in his eyes is offset by the recovery of a smile of a son who takes so much solace of broken promised joy in the love that still flickers and exists between the two people who brought him in this world. Even if the only one who sees it is him, like the Doc prescribed Danny boy himself from Stephen King's 'The Shining' (and maybe the movie too, but if you read our review of 'Halloween' you know I'm not there yet). But still acutely aware of the horrors of hallmark divorcing traits that threateningly haunt this house. As he has to shoulder that burden and pick-up the load. Shopping with a basket on his bike that would normally be used for a paper round, cycling past an older gentleman pushing a row of shopping carts together that almost looks like his father. Trying to warn off the advances but also accept the new figures in his life like veteran character actor Bill Camp. Equal measures of warm and creepy as we really see him through billowing cigar smoke. Setting up shop for his best role yet outside of Jessica Chastain movies like 'Lawless' and last years 'Molly's Game' hand Also trying to develop what he wants to do with his own life. Becoming the young apprentice of a photography internship that through the lens reveals the real person in portrait. In some perfect shot moments of the human condition and the filters we try and show ourselves to people through. Trying in some vain to mask what is really there for the selfie selfish, Instagram applied age to tap into on the double. As powerful in reply as 'The Answer' of the Unkle featuring Big In Japan trailer song, the tarp shrouded background, three chair parted portrait of his parents is this films biggest picture and frame of reference. As Mulligan trys to keep it together and hold back the falling apart tears and center herself for the candid shot, as a gone looking Gyllenhaal let's us gaze into the gaping holes of hurt in the eyes of his soul, damn does Dano deliver. It is this lasting image too which should serve as all you need to see to watch this movie. As in this spoiler age we live in the trailer tells the whole story somewhat the more you look into it. Better to go into these woods blind. Like Oxenbould's young blood who starting to see the light for what it really is, asks in the aftermath of a petrol powered third act finale, "what's going to happen to us"? As Mulligan replies "I don't know" with a piercing whisper of desperate regret from someone who now knows the pain of not being able to provide her first and only born with the answers he yearningly needs, from the only people he truly trusts his life with is a violent, beyond powerful shock to all our systems. Making this Sundance, Cannes and Toronto International Film Festival leaf favourite an American classic the modern world would do wonders to learn from. Before the all too late lesson engulfs us all. As all our human nature in this life looks to survive the wild. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Carol', 'Fences', 'First Reformed'.
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