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Greetings again from the darkness. Oscar nominated for her screenplay to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Robin Swicord's directorial debut of The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) was not particularly impressive. However, she bounces back nicely with this Bryan Cranston vehicle and one of the more creative scripts featuring internal dialogue that's ever hit the silver screen. Cranston is showing a knack for selecting interesting projects, and he excels here as the high-powered attorney who spontaneously decides to drop out of society in a most unusual manner.

There is a ton of social commentary on display here with targets including married life, suburban living, career pressures, and self-doubt … substantially summed up with a line from Cranston's character, "Most everyone has had the impulse to put their life on hold." As he proceeds through his new 'unshackled' and 'primal' lifestyle while observing the world unnoticed through the small window in his garage attic, much of his focus seems to be on discovering just who he is at his core, and what is the truth behind his relationship with his wife (Jennifer Garner). It's as if he is asking "What am I?" while clinging to his previous life in a voyeuristic way.

Ms. Swicord's screenplay is adapted from E.L. Doctorow's short story and it's sneaky in the way that it questions how we go about our daily life, and how one can "snap" emotionally if feeling unappreciated. It's a showcase for the other side of upper middle class white privilege, as well as suburban alienation that is so prevalent (and ignored) today. By dropping out but staying close, Cranston's character actually pays more attention to his family than he usually would if sitting next to them at the dinner table.

We are accustomed to a mid-life crisis involving a sports car, marital affair or sudden career change. It's highly unusual for someone to actually "disappear". It's at that point where the narration really shines … it's insightful, observational and thought-provoking. Beyond that, the comedic edge is laden with sadness. The story humanizes this pretty despicable guy – or at least a guy who does a pretty despicable thing. The score is in the style of a 1980's Brian DePalma movie, which just adds to the unique cinematic experience. This is one to see for Cranston's performance, as well as for Ms. Swicord's commentary on today's way of life.

Let's start first with Bryan Cranston's performance. When watching this movie, I think it would be easy for someone to overlook just how good he is. 85% of the movie is Cranston sitting in a room talking to himself, and yet he is able to bring such dimension and drama to it. He makes it look so easy and natural, and that's why it would be easy to overlook his performance. He absolutely carries the film, and it does not work without his ability as an actor. Jennifer Garner is also really good in this movie, however she is absolutely outshined by how brilliant Cranston is. Her role was also minute enough that really anyone could have played her character, whereas I don't think just anyone could have played Howard Wakefield. What struck me most about Wakefield was how much of a character study it was. It was actually more of a situational study. What does an average human being reduce themselves to when stripped of all their possessions? When they become entirely deprogrammed from society? This idea has been explored before, in films like Cast Away, but never quite in this way...

"Wakefield" is a different kind of film it shows what it's like when one takes their own self out of the daily rat race of life and hides away to reflect and watch the world from their own point of view. The story is around Howard Wakefield(Bryan Cranston)a high powered attorney who has it all only one day he decides to remove himself from life and family after a breakdown of nerves and go away and live in the attic. As in his time away Howard does reflect on the past with life, choices, and family, and sees the wife away from a distant view as his love now is just sight seeing of Diana(the sexy Jennifer Garner)who's an elegant and upscale trophy black bra wearing kind of wife. Thru it all the world is now just a different take and look for Howard as he sees the reflection of light and life in the end. Overall good film that shows and proves that many should take a break and different look at life from an outsider approach as to isolate time and thoughts are many times good for the healing of the mind and soul.

A successful New York attorney (Bryan Cranston) lives in a nice suburban home, has been married to his wife (Jennifer Garner) for 15 years and has teenage twin daughters. He thinks about the ups and downs of their relationship, loses his job and walks out on his family. Except he is not far as he is hiding in a small room above the garage spying on his family for months from a window in the garage, watching their different stages of grief.

Cranston practically carries this film alone on this parable on human relationships and family. Not short of humour, it is both an interesting and sad study that sometimes stretches credibility.

This is unusual. A sort of insane mid-life crisis that is not drug or money dependant. We get to know what is inside of the guy and the family and the other guy and the special neighbours. It is hilarious at times and so ridiculous. But it get slightly darker toward the end, instead of silly.

You can talk about how misleading the narrator is, how slow paced it is, but for me it creates a meditative character study, that actually relishes how sincerely flawed our protagonist is.

Bailing out on their family for an extended period of time is something universal in the remote fantasy of husbands who have an almost breakdown as they think of the responsibilities weighing on them. Robin Swicord's adaptation of E. L. Doctorow's short story Wakefield depicts in a measured and thoughtful way its titular lawyer, Howard (Bryan Cranston), hiding out for months in the attic of his garage as he watches the drama unfold of his wife (Jennifer Garner) and his two children.

Nothing big happens in this small film but his growing a beard and his diving into dumpsters. However, if you're up for it, it can induce you to think what it would be like to watch your family respond to your absence and eventually witness them learn to live without you.

As the film makes painfully apparent, they can get along perfectly well, thank you. So Howard's prevalent voice-over becomes the true conflict as he struggles with thoughts of his wife, leaving her, and the course he has now set as an absentee. Otherwise that voice-over and talking to himself seem like cheap ways to neglect showing what happens.

Although he realizes he may no longer return to the law firm because of his lengthy absence and negative thoughts about his fellow man, Howard nonetheless makes strategic observations about kindness in general and the love of his family in particular.

Cranston is aces at projecting a world-weary but successful professional who needs a time out. And his performance is the only solid reason to recommend this otherwise unsurprising little film.

This movie could have been much better, I gave it a 7 just because of Brian, would have been a 4 otherwise.

Greetings from Lithuania.

What a pleasant surprise for me was "Wakefield" (2016). A drama without any action or suspense with a very simple premise that kept me glued to my screen.

"Wakefield" (2016) is a great and kinda unique character study drama. Its about character that was before, i now during a transformation and which will be after transformation.

Acting was superb (as usual) from a great Bryan Cranston. Writing and directing were also superb - at running time 1 h 45 min i was never bored or lost my interest in this kinda unique and haunting movie. Loved it.