2018 PYIFF Dailies: Many Miles from Home with Paul Dano’s WildLife | Day 6

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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.

Paul Dano Wildlife PYIFF

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.

Meteors Romain Laguna

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.

Eric Lavallée
Eric Lavalléehttps://www.ericlavallee.com
Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist, and critic at IONCINEMA.com, established in 2000. A regular at Sundance, Cannes, and Venice, Eric holds a BFA in film studies from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013, he served on the narrative competition jury at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson’s "This Teacher" (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). He is a Golden Globes Voter, member of the ICS (International Cinephile Society) and AQCC (Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma).

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