Wildlife | Paul Dano | NYFF 2018
Actors who step behind the camera to direct often tend to bring out some of the best performances of their fellow actors. This is most certainly the case in Wildlife, the directorial debut from Paul Dano, who also co-wrote the screenplay along with his girlfriend and fellow actor, Zoe Kazan, based off of the novel of the same title written by Richard Ford.
It’s 1960 and Jeanette (Carey Mulligan) and Jerry Brinson (Jake Gyllenhaal) have moved to Great Falls, Montana with their teenage son Joe (Ed Oxenbould). They’re all having trouble adjusting to their new home, especially after Jerry loses his job at a golf country club. The dissenting between their marriage has a huge effect on Joe and things only get worse when Jerry declines an offer to go back to his old job, instead of taking an interest in firefighters combating a vicious fire up in the mountains. He soon takes a low-paying job to help in the firefighter’s efforts, leaving Jeanette and Joe to tend to themselves.
As if this awkward period wasn’t tough enough for Joe, matters become even worse when Jeanette starts taking an interest in an older man Warren Miller (Bill Camp), an older man that she meets when she takes up a job as a swimming instructor. Growing up as a teenager in a new town is already tough enough, but to witness the dissolve of your parent’s marriage in real-time is unimaginably tough.
Dano impressively captures all the small details and nuanced levels of emotions with the confidence of a director with multiple features already under his belt. He knows and trusts his two lead actors, two of the best working in the game, to deliver the goods and boy do they ever. Mulligan has the tough task of making viewers empathize with her character even though we are having a hard time seeing what she is doing to her son. Ed Oxenbould, best known for his work in The Visit, is a revelation here, offering an understated yet powerfully convincing performance that marks him as a great young talent to watch.
This is a story about small details and little moments of real life that can have a lifetime of impact. Dano captured the essence of Richard Ford’s story with conviction and confidence that feels raw and beautiful. It’s a slow burn but as a child of divorce, I can tell you about how true it all felt.
One particular scene during its final moments is one that will stick with you long after the film is over, easily one of the best of the year. Dano quietly packs a ton of similar moments into his striking and moving directorial debut one that is packed with all the real-life beauty and emotion that come from heartbreak, romance, and family. It’s as real as it gets.
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