Wakefield

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.

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...

No, this movie is not like watching paint dry, it is about watching a person drop out and tune into the petty and superficial aspects of the self. Rather it's a "nervous breakdown" or not Cranston does wonders with his physiognomy and gait. No, this is not an action movie or a RomCom, but a study in character and psychology does require patience, as does sipping a good glass of wine, no need to gulp, enjoy the moments, the good and the bad.

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.

This was a very strange film especially to find Cranston in but yet again I can think of anyone better suited. Worth the watch for Cranston alone