"Wildlife" review—an intimate portrayal of a family in disarray
"Wildlife" is the latest work by Hollywood veteran Paul Dano in his directorial debut, offering audiences a glimpse at a 1960's American family breaking apart in a modern framework.
Dano displays many artistic sensibilities throughout "Wildlife" as a writer-director, concisely tackling themes of masculinity, femininity and the American dream in a tight narrative. "Wildlife" stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan as Jerry and Jeannette Brinson, respectively, two parents struggling to make ends meet and raise their teenage son Joe (Ed Oxenbould). The story picks up in 1960's Great Falls, Montana, where the Brinson's have recently moved to get a job. Not long after, unfortunately, Jerry gets fired from his gig at the local golf club, throwing the family into fiscal turmoil. Out of pride and disgust, Jerry sets out on a dangerous job to extinguish fires in the nearby mountains, even with the terrible pay ($1 / hour) and the disagreement from Jeannette and Joe. The early departure of the father and husband from the picture sets "Wildlife" on a mysterious crash course that is a gripping look at how families deal with conflict.
While the narrative is interesting enough, what sets "Wildlife" apart from traditional Oscar-bait / arthouse cinema is Dano's devotion to the characters and themes throughout. Jake Gyllenhaal delivers yet another impressive performance as a damaged Jerry Brinson who struggles to maintain his identity as a provider for his family as security seems to always evade his family's life. While his family is shocked by Jerry's decision to leave them early in the film to go fight fires, Gyllenhaal's solemn, yet evocative expressions display a wounded and masculine aspect of Brinson that compels him to leave. Since Jerry cannot provide direct financial security for his family after all the moving and new jobs, his choice to combat fires is his way of protecting the larger society and how he attempts to fill the void from a failed career. Carey Mulligan is equally impressive as Jeannette, a contemplative housewife who seeks to regain control of her life amidst the chaos imposed by Jerry's absence. Ed Oxenbould delivers a strong performance as the familial center of the narrative, displaying the innocent naiviety of youth. Mulligan and Gyllenhaal offer different, but honest portrayals of femininity and masculinity, as both pursue fulfilment amidst a crackling marriage.
Atmosphere and the isolation of Montana provide depth to "Wildlife," as the desperation and pent-up energy felt by the characters are often displayed without conventional dialogue. Dano takes a very quiet approach with this film, which works due to strong performances by Gyllenhaal and Mulligan, along with the natural scenery and set design. The sweeping mountains and roaring fires provide thematic representations for the peaceful chaos experienced throughout the film. Setting the film in rural Montana establishes Jerry Brinson as an archetypical American Cowboy, who prefers the company of like-minded individuals and the thrill of exploring unmarked land away from traditional society. Although this film is adapted from Richard Ford's synonymous novel, the narrative penned by Dano and Zoe Kazan feels like an autobiography or documentary with its intimate, flawed characters. Destruction is a literal and symbolic theme throughout the film, as fires are inevitably a weaker threat to the narrative than the crumbling love shared by the Brinson's, which makes the story much more tragic and realistic.
What Dano and the cast were able to accomplish here is commendable not only for the private, sometimes squeamish look at familial strife, but for imbuing it with iconographies of the American West and non-conventional marriage tropes. Dano, Gyllenhaal and Mulligan find a way to show the Brinson's as interesting and volatile partners who still embody respectable ideals of men and women, showing them as morally-gray individuals rather than Christ-like partners. This devotion to realism should give Dano, Gyllenhaal and Mulligan Oscar consideration, as the film is an accomplishment in simplicity, if nothing else.
Sean Kelso is the founder & editor-in-chief of Greyscale.
