Wildlife

Can we all agree that Carey Mulligan is underrated? Everything I see her in she’s amazing but she tends to fly under the radar. Get it together Hollywood! They need to recognize. Her performance in Wildlife is exactly what I’m talking about here. She is the movie. She stars opposite Jake Gyllenhaal who sometimes creeps me out (something about his eyes, am I the only one?) but puts in a good performance. They’re a married couple, Jeanette and Jerry, who move to Montana to “start fresh” in the 1960’s. They have a teenage son Joe (Ed Oxenbould) who is basically the only real adult in the film. If you aren’t interested in watching the intricacies of married life or navigating the unfair world of social norms and expectations then you probably won’t be too thrilled with this film. It’s pretty slow moving, particularly the first half, and it’s more of a character study than anything else. There are some gorgeous shots from Diego Garcia so if you’re a cinematography nerd you’ll be happy. First time director Paul Dano does a decent job with the story. It’s adapted from the book Wildlife by Richard Ford in case you care. The real selling point for me is Mulligan’s performance. She. Is. Amazing. And in another year she might have gotten nominated for an Oscar but I wouldn’t be surprised if once again she’s overlooked. Come on Academy, do the right thing.

Film or Movie: Film
You’ll like this film if:
1. You love Carey Mulligan
2. You are a cinephile
3. You like slow moving, delicate stories that take a while to examine