Wrong

Wow, is this a tough one to review. I mean, you usually have a pretty clear idea whether or not you liked what you've just seen. But in the case of "Wrong," I'm just not entirely sure what that is.

The first hitch: it's directed by the same guy who brought you "Rubber." I HATED "Rubber." I wanted to like it, but I just didn't get it. I knew it was requiring me to think outside the box, but I went into thinking it was a horror comedy about a killer tire and nothing more. I shouldn't have to think any harder than that, and it made me mad that it wasn't what I expected. At least this time the description was a little closer to the truth, and I was better prepared. I thought.

It stars Jack Plotnik-who I generally like-as a confused man who has lost his dog, Paul. That's the only easy part to explain. The rest involves weird characters, rain inside office buildings, dog detectives, a crazy nymphomaniac pizza business girl, an aggressive cop and absolutely nothing makes ANY sense. So if you demand logic from your movies, just move along-otherwise you're just going to be frustrated.

But I was determined to try and appreciate what the others who highly rated this saw in it. And some of their insights really helped-especially the person who felt that all of the weirdness was a manifestation of Plotnik's sense of complete loss. They may be on to something. However, getting all the way through that weirdness is the hard part and why it's hard to review. Because it's not a bad film. It really isn't. It's well shot with decent performances. It is fascinating even if you're totally confused. By the time I reached the third act I was okay as it seemed a little less gloomy, and the ending was satisfying.

But it DOES take patience and an open mind. If you have neither, this will not be for you. This is not a comedy but it's not exactly a drama, either. It is a well made film, but certainly in a catagory that's hard to define.

Dolph Springer is the main protagonist in 'Wrong' and a relatable normal guy. The actor, Jack Plotnick, was perfectly chosen and plays his role so well in this setting that I would want a whole series about it.

The camera work and colours are great, well chosen music and the plot has good moments. The opening scene already looks promising, well directed. Also the rest of the cast fits well for most parts.

The screenplay does have it's good moments and this movie honestly could have been a 10/10, but so many weird things, that don't make any sense and of which I don't know why they are in the movie, happen. Yes, there also are weird things happening, which DO have a purpose and that DO fit and made me smile, but there's probably more that don't.

You can watch this movie and absolutely love the good things about it, but prepare to be disappointed a lot as well.

Surreal, absurd, bizarre... and boring. I wonder if he really had something to say, or he just wanted to be surreal, absurd and bizarre. If he had, I missed it.

5/10

I can't say that I fully understood a lot of the happenings in Wrong, I am not sure if I was supposed to, but I enjoyed it none the less. It is an emotional journey; the central premise of a man loosing his dog is something that I could identify with as a dog lover as being an incredibly harrowing, discomforting and disorientating experience and the imagery of the film does a lot to reinforce those feelings. Wrong feels like an art house film, abstract, beautifully shot with a surreal edge that somehow never feels random or out of place and never goes too far with weird for weirdness sake. There is a point (as opposed to the directors last feature -Rubber).

Wrong avoids alienating the audience by virtue of the great characters, they're actions given the context of the film seem perfectly understandable and you will identify with them.

Also, the film has made me reconsider my relationship to my dog, in a way that no other film has done before.

I cried.

Wrong is a strange movie, that's the least you can say about it. Nothing really makes sense in this movie and normally that's the ultimate letdown for me. But strangely it kept my attention till the end. I guess the dog did it, because I have a weak spot for dog movies, always hoping for a good ending. My wife on the other hand hated this movie, which I understand, as I wasn't a huge fan either. I wouldn't pay too much attention to the very positive reviews for this one, that is if you like your movies to be normal. Nothing is 'normal' in wrong, and I wonder why they did that. It wasn't really funny either. That Eric Judor had a role in this movie doesn't surprise me, he's known for playing in dumb movies, so no exceptions here. The acting and cinematography wasn't bad, the story was though. Bizarrely I rate this movie four stars, must have been the short appearance of the dog.