To the Wonder

“Every journey ends but we go on. The world turns and we turn with it.”
Who knew Brad Pitt’s cringe-inducing Chanel ad was actually a teaser trailer for Terrence Malick’s experimental love story, To The Wonder?
Malick’s film is ostensibly about the tumultuous relationship between Parisian woman Marina (Olga Kurylenko) and American Neil (Ben Affleck). Javier Bardem appears as a brooding priest, representing a loss of faith, we gather. But the characters are largely inconsequential. Malick rejects dialogue or coherent plot in favour of endless montages of the characters ponderously gazing at their surroundings. Granted, these surroundings are vivid, painterly and romantically lit. But by failing to couple Emmanuel Lubezki’s stunning cinematography with a story, the images lack emotional resonance, and are laughably repetitive. Extras include making-of feature.

Warm Bodies

With the Twilight franchise now just a tedious, pouting memory, directors are looking to fill that sexy supernatural niche. And apparently zombies are now, like, so fetch. Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy, Skins) is pale, misunderstood, flesh-eating pin-up R, who falls for the very-much-alive Julie (Teresa Palmer, I Am Number Four). There are flashes of brilliance from director Jonathan Levine (The Wackness, 50/50). He adapted the story from Isaac Marion’s novel. An ingenious touch sees R absorb the memories and emotions of his victims when he eats their brains. The soundtrack’s also superb, and as R plays The Black Keys’ ‘Lonely Boy’ and Springsteen’s ‘Hungry Heart’ to woo Julie, Levine’s warm wit is on display. Otherwise, Warm Bodies is underwhelming. Cheap make-up and effects and a pandering teen romance feel more suited to television. Extras include gag reel.

To Odd Life of Timothy Green

Disney’s family flick The Odd Life of Timothy Green is based on a “concept” by Ahmet Zappa, and it shows. Rarely has a potential tugger of heart-strings been so thinly scripted. A fairytale premise sees bland childless couple Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton magically grow their ideal child. This fairytale conceit is introduced beautifully. The green and gold cinematography subtly shimmers. But the film’s attempt to teach life lessons is syrupy and lacking force. As Timothy, young CJ Adams is cute, but given little dialogue. His supposedly meaningful connections with the community, particularly beautiful classmate Odeya Rush, are hollow. Timothy had 100 minutes to charm me. It didn’t work. Extras include featurette on the soundtrack by Glen Hansard.

Broken

A flawed but tender tale about three self-destructive families in a UK Home Counties cul-de-sac, Broken is the feature debut of British theatre director Rufus Norris. Scene-stealing newcomer Eloise Laurence plays the intelligent, unassuming 11-year-old Skunk, whose idealism and affability combine to make her a modern-day Scout Finch. Her Boo Radley is Rick (Robert Emms), a kind but intellectually-challenged young man. He becomes fragile and reclusive after an attack by bullying neighbour Bob Oswald (a brilliantly explosive Rory Kinnear). Mark O’Rowe’s screenplay attempts to address a lot of themes. There’s socio-economic commentary, a coming-of-age tale, several romances, and a melodramatic and troublesome central incident. The actors all impress and Laurence shares endearing chemistry with father Tim Roth, teacher Cillian Murphy and Emms. But with at least one too many dramatic plotlines, Norris struggles to maintain a steady pace and tone. Great soundtrack by Damon Albern’s Electric Wave Bureau. No extras.