Wander Darkly

Greetings again from the darkness. An ambitious filmmaker by nature takes risks that other filmmakers don't, sometimes to the detriment of their own success. However, for those of us who maintain a crazy pace of movie watching, we tend to relish those who find a way to try something different - turn a familiar story into one we might not have seen before. So hats off to writer-director Tara Miele (THE LAKE EFFECT, 2010) for jolting the frequently used flashback effect and making it into an interactive experience.

Adrienne (Sienna Miller) and Matteo (Diego Luna) are a normal couple going through the kind of rough patch that many couples will relate to. They have chosen to not get married, yet they have a newborn baby and recently purchased a home (despite job situations that don't seem to add up). The pressures of adulting have resulted in frustrations and distrust to the point that Adrienne questions if the relationship should even continue. Their solution is scheduling "date nights", and the one we see is a date night gone bad ... and then worse.

What follows is Adrienne and Matteo on a surreal trek through the hazy memories of their relationship via moments in time that play like foggy dreams. We see good moments and bad, and the two hash out what they really thinking at the time - all while Adrienne tries to make sense of her new situation. There are some similarities here to Michel Gondry's excellent ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004), but at its core, this is a heartfelt examination of trauma, love, memories, and grief as they relate and impact a relationship.

Beth Grant provides support work as Adrienne's mother, but it's Sienna Miller who delivers what may be a career best performance. She has always been a fine actress, but this may be the widest range of emotions she's ever had to convey. The dialogue may be a bit sketchy at times, but we recognize every portion of this flawed relationship. Watching a couple re-live actual past situations and debate on what was said or what was meant, is a history lesson that cuts deeply. A clip from NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is purposeful in its inclusion, but I won't disclose anything further in regards to the nature of these characters and what they go through. I'll only say that filmmaker Miele (a Grand Jury award winner at Sundance) does really nice work in showing how physical trauma and emotional trauma so often go hand-in-hand. In select theaters and On Demand December 11, 2020

This movie makes sense when you know that it is mostly the writer-director's own story. She and her husband were in a bad automobile accident and when she regained consciousness she wouldn't see. Thus the title 'Wander Darkly.' She developed that experience into this fictional story.

The couple are Sienna Miller as Adrienne and Diego Luna as Matteo. They are not married but decided to have a child who is a few months old when the movie starts. They have relationship baggage that needs to get sorted out and their accident is the catalyst for that.

It would be impossible for me to write a logical narrative after viewing the movie, in many ways it is like watching a series of dream sequences. However I enjoyed it, both lead actors are very good in their roles, especially Miller.

I watched it at home on DVD from my public library. My wife skipped, she was on a golf trip.

I would have rated this at a 5 but give it a 7 as the director actually lived the idea in the plot (director's commentary) and so has first hand knowledge. That fact always gives it a nudge upwards for me as there is truth in the story and not just there for entertainment. Sometimes truth in the story is not compatible with better pacing in a film, but for me reality wins out every time. If it starts to drag a bit, keep at it as the ending is worth the wait.

The movie could have been great but Sienna Miller's character is so unlikable I just couldn't get into it or care about anything going on in the film. The script needed to create a love connection between the leads in order for me to invest emotionally into the story and the trauma they suffered.

Wander Darkly tells the story of Adrienne and Matteo, a couple whose fractured relationship dances on a knife's edge when a tragic car accident unfolds. The movie has a great ending and some good performances both from Sienna Miller and Diego Luna. However the film is sometimes confused, predictable and slow.

Rating: 5,7.