Onyricon

Wonderwall is certainly a period piece from 1968. The plot concerns a lonely old college professor,played by Jack McGowan, who periodically spies on his attractive,young fashion model,played by Jane Berkin (star of many a French film),thru a hole in the wall. The professor starts to drill more holes in his wall,so he can view her from various perspectives. The film earns it's kudos from it's production values,it's use of colour (the professor's flat is a dreary,colourless one,while the model's flat is a burst of psychedelic colours). This little seen film fared poorly in the U.K. & even worse in the U.S.,before it was promptly forgotten in the dustbin of ignored films. Pity....it would have made for a most fitting addition to the rank of midnight movies in the early to mid 1970's. One didn't have to partake of various mind expanding drugs to enjoy this odd little film, but it sure didn't hurt. The film's director was Joe Massot,who would be more recognized nearly a decade later as the co-director of 'Led Zepplin:The Song Remains The Same' (he directed the "fantasy" sequences featuring the members of Led Zepplin,as well as their then manager,Peter Grant, that for some managed to pad the film out way beyond it's two hour,plus running time). The most notable aspect of this film is the musical score,which was composed by George Harrison,who wanted it to sound as much anti Beatle as possible (and succeeded). A brand new print of this forgotten film was re-discovered a few years back,restored with a punchy sounding soundtrack & re-released. Worth seeking out. No MPAA rating here,but contains a bit of peek-a-boo nudity & adult situations which could have earned it an 'R' rating back in 1968

In the stuffed apartment of a nerdy professor - books, piles of papers, late romanticism murals of wounded knights and bereaved maidens. He only lives for his science, does not have a social life. Until he finds a hole in a wall. He peeks through and discovers a new world. In the next door apartment - fully decorated in day-glo painted furniture and pop art - young Londoners are fully embracing the swinging lifestyle: photographers, models, musicians. Parties take place, wild music is played and boys and girls experience life. By and by the professor gets sucked into this new world next door.

Even though there are some scenes that could be shorter, the director takes the time to let us know, how slowly but inevitably the professor opens up.

I love movies like Blow Up, Magical Mystery Tour, The Magic Christian, Performance, ... This movie is not one of the cult films but has its own zeitgeist charme. It inspired Oasis to do a song with the same title. George Harrison did the soundtrack.

Any movie that is defended with the idea that it can only be enjoyed by viewing after taking drugs... well, c'mon, you know it's got to be pretty bad. And this is bad, no mistake about it. Sure, it's very colorful, and for the drug-inclined it's an eye-popping visual "overdose" of nostalgic psychedelia...

But at the the heart of this foolish fruity farrago is an offensive story of a geeky middle-aged man obsessing pervertedly over a pretty young woman living next door -- that obsession fueled by non-stop Peeping Tom activity. This sick invasion of privacy is treated as an excitable, joyous, comical diversion. It leads the geek professor to wild flights of fancy and lunatic dreams, giving us plenty of bizarre sequences filmed in full 60's psychedelic-meets-Richard Lester glory. But, wacky comedy-wise, it's weak tea in comparison to Lester's 'The Knack' or 'Help!' And considering the obvious Lester-Beatles influence (including the actor playing Birkin's boyfriend having a distinct Liverpudlian accent) it's no surprise that George Harrison provides the score.

Too bad that the score is awful. Whole scenes go by with virtually no dialogue, thus a catchy pop score from Harrison would be welcome, and add to the nostalgic value of the film beyond the psychedelia. Unfortunately we get the Shankar-sauce sitar-period Harrison. Only those finding a nostalgic trip from Indian music that sounds like the wailing of out-of-tune violins (or worse, the sound of a cat trapped inside bagpipes) will be pleased. Otherwise, it's an ear-offending slog.

And otherwise, filmically, you get a frantic but professional performance from Jack Macgowran, a lot of eye-catching shots of pretty cult-figure Jane Birkin, and a few comic bits that work.

Every scene could have been cut much shorter with no loss of content or story development. It seemed like they were simply trying to fill a 92 minute time slot.

I hope the Quality Control office of the Water Authority replaced the Professor with automated equipment. I would not trust his analyses.

'Wonderwall' was one of four 'alternative-cinema' films to debut at the newly opened:'CINECENTA' multi-complex off Leicester Square in January 1969. It had previously had its 'World-Premiere' at the Cannes Film Festival in 1968.

The 'George Harrison' Soundtrack of Indian Ragas & etc. are the aural sound-sheet of a truly reprehensible plot with dull stupefyingly mind-numbing 'animated inserts'such as Butterflys escaping from a collectors album.The whole film seems to be a 'screen-test' for Jane Birkin.She wears coloured tights,Indian dresses,Sunglasses,& on & on............Jack MacGowran actually seems out-of-place in his admirable interpretation of a stuffy lonely Zoological Professor. The actual idea of a lonely bachelor peeping through a hole in a wall on his beautiful débutante neighbour is brilliant.The film doesn't make enough on this concept alone. The Film is too chic & it retains no style.Jane Birkin is flamboyant & exotic but she doesn't have a single word of dialogue.(Except some gibberish heard when the Professor eavesdrops).I assume this was intentional BUT a bad decision.Not hearing Jane Birkin speak makes her even more Kewpie-doll & a window-dressed mannequin throughout this movie. The 'Word-Cards' that were inserted should really now come out & the Director should issue a 'Director's Cut' taking out all the period 'animated-inserts' & politely asking MsBirkin to NOW add a voice-over in suitable places.Perhaps any additional footage could be restored because the film doesn't hold a strong enough allure.(Except of course la Birkin in nice poses!).