The yearly running joke among film journalists covering the festival beat is to identify the odd title that we somehow missed. In my case, after showings at Sundance, Cannes’ Critics’ Week and Toronto’s TIFF Film, I finally got to fit Paul Dano‘s directorial debut into my non hectic schedule here in Pingyao. I’m late to the game but Wildlife has to be one of the best directorial debut offerings of 2018 — and an Film Independent Spirit Awards favorite.
Equal measures melancholic and volcanic, Dano (and Zoe Kazan) serve up a gloomy dish of female oppression with a family of three persons coming-of-age pitch deck. Repressed, guilt ridden or free of guilt, Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan takes turns psychologically lashing out in what is a protest of sorts to a promised life in this handsomely packaged, pitch perfect dialogue with a dark heart. It’s hard to find any flaws here.
Receiving its world premiere at the San Sebastián Film Festival, Romain Laguna was on hand with actress Zea Duprez for Les Météorites (Meteors). A debut feature for the filmmaker who studied at La Femis, used non-professional cast for his drama.
