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| Courtesy of IFC Films |
Based on a short story by E.L. Doctorow (itself an updated version of an old Nathaniel Hawthorne tale), Cranston plays Howard Wakefield, a man in the throes of what initially appears to be a stereotypical midlife crisis. On paper, he checks all the boxes for a perfect life: high-powered Manhattan attorney, financially secure, amazing wife (Jennifer Garner), seemingly well-adjusted twin daughters, beautiful house, etc. But he still seems miserable.
One night on the way home from work, something inside Howard snaps. Rather than go inside to greet his wife and kids, he decides to hide out in the attic above his garage. At first, he just wants to see how his family reacts when he doesn’t show up. But as the experiment stretches from hours into days, and then even longer, he wonders if he’s made it impossible to go back to his normal life. Even if he could, does he want to?
When Wakefield was over, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. The story is a fractured version of existence that comes apart if you analyze it too much, but then I realized that’s exactly writer-director Robin Swicord’s intention. Whatever Howard’s issue is – whether it’s mental illness, extreme stubbornness, or something else – the audience sees it all from his perspective. Of course it’s not going to be grounded in reality.
In the hours after I watched the movie, I couldn’t shake it. My mind kept wandering back to the characters and the narrative’s sharp, frequently raw allegorical moments. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it – despite its flaws, and in some cases because of them.
Cranston is outstanding in an extraordinarily complex role. Howard Wakefield is a protagonist who’s always interesting and frequently hilarious, even though he’s one of the more unlikable characters in recent memory. Granted, the guy who played Walter White has a little experience in that area.
Garner is just as compelling in a role that’s even more difficult. As Howard’s put-upon wife, the audience never sees her outside his perspective. In other words, all we know about her is what the main character tells us, and it’s abundantly clear that we have no reason to trust him. I’d love to watch Wakefield again just to focus on her performance and how she’s able to craft a woman who technically only exists in the protagonist’s mind.
When Wakefield was over, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. The story is a fractured version of existence that comes apart if you analyze it too much, but then I realized that’s exactly writer-director Robin Swicord’s intention. Whatever Howard’s issue is – whether it’s mental illness, extreme stubbornness, or something else – the audience sees it all from his perspective. Of course it’s not going to be grounded in reality.
In the hours after I watched the movie, I couldn’t shake it. My mind kept wandering back to the characters and the narrative’s sharp, frequently raw allegorical moments. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it – despite its flaws, and in some cases because of them.
Cranston is outstanding in an extraordinarily complex role. Howard Wakefield is a protagonist who’s always interesting and frequently hilarious, even though he’s one of the more unlikable characters in recent memory. Granted, the guy who played Walter White has a little experience in that area.
Garner is just as compelling in a role that’s even more difficult. As Howard’s put-upon wife, the audience never sees her outside his perspective. In other words, all we know about her is what the main character tells us, and it’s abundantly clear that we have no reason to trust him. I’d love to watch Wakefield again just to focus on her performance and how she’s able to craft a woman who technically only exists in the protagonist’s mind.
Despite a low budget and a tight filming schedule, Swicord’s film looks and sounds gorgeous (thanks to an assist from cinematographer Andre Bowden Schwartz and composer Aaron Zigman). The lush visuals and sounds contribute to both the Wakefields’ upper-class lifestyle and Howard’s eventual break from reality.
Again, reaction to Wakefield is bound to be polarizing, but I can see myself growing to appreciate it more with repeat viewings. It’s expertly crafted to prompt intense debates, so I hope it can build a bigger audience over time.
Wakefield is rated R for some sexual material and language. Opens Friday at Midtown Art in Atlanta and available On Demand.
Grade: B
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