Review of Dear Wendy (2005) by Eleanor O — 02 Oct 2008
Written by Lars von Trier and directed by Dogme buddy Thomas Vinterberg, Dear Wendy may not be as emotionally potent as von Trier's Dogville, and it is downright silly at times, but it is infinitely more accessible, more accomplished stylistically, and indicative of a duo who have moved on from their younger care-free Dogme days and aren't afraid to manipulate the conventions to their advantage, rather than abandon them altogether.
von Trier shows increasing development as a writer, the dialogue and set-pieces in this much more organic and clever than the stilted dialogue in Dogville (though there is still the occasional issue), and Vinterberg shows a stylistic flair hinted at with his Dogme film Festen but explored in a much cleverer and more satisfying way in this (the end set-piece is particularly well shot and developed, a visual feast for all the right reasons).
The casting is superb, even if Bill Pullman does ham up his character a little, as the teenage actors do more than enough to rectify this issue - Jamie Bell, Danso Gordon and Mark Webber, in particular, are sensational.
And the set design may not be as ingenious as in Dogville, but Electric Park and the old mine exude a ghost town feel that's at odds with the cars in the roads and the toys and foods in the store, making this timeless, identity-less town just as effective a setting as von Trier's soundstage-with-blueprints.
And while accusations of racism can be leveled at it (the pacifist-with-guns nature of the Dandies goes downhill when Sebastian, a black boy who's been away for killing a man that tried to kill him, arrives), it misses the overall point - while it could be considered racist, Vinterberg and von Trier intended to show us how gun culture pervades every aspect of society, and besides, it is not Sebastian who causes the downhill slide, but Jamie Bell's character, Dick, who becomes more and more possessive of his gun and jealous of Sebastian, leading to the faintly ridiculous chain of events resulting in the unforgettable climax - really, it is the white boy's suspicions and jealousy that leads to the downfall, not the African-American (that's right, Ebert).
Overall, some of Vinterberg's and von Trier's best work is in this film, despite the protestations of critics.
This review of Dear Wendy (2005) was written by Eleanor O on 02 Oct 2008.
Dear Wendy has generally received mixed reviews.
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