Review of Wakefield (2017) by Dana F — 19 Dec 2017

If you're a fan of Bryan Cranston (of course you are), you should probably see this movie. He plays a similar type of anti-hero as he does in Breaking Bad, and we all know how freakin' awesome he was in that show.

His performance is just as excellent here, and arguably more difficult as the entire movie rests exclusively on his shoulders. The movie as a whole, however, is just ok. The plot is really intriguing - about a man who decides to hide out in his garage from his family; initially as avoidance, then out of curiosity, and ultimately out of sheer stubbornness.

The story starts as an exploration of the ennui of suburban life and shifts into a character study of a deeply flawed man. The eponymous Wakefield is not a likable guy - he's selfish and controlling and manipulative, and I really hated him.

But that's the genius of Cranston's performance - he has a way of humanizing the character so that you identify with him, even if you're not exactly rooting for him. The film has a voyeuristic "Rear Window" feel to it, as most of the film takes place from Wakefield's perspective as he watches his family through the garage window.

It also has some darkly comic moments that made me laugh out loud, which is always appreciated in a film with such heavy themes. The problem with this film is the length. It was adapted from a short-story, it should have stayed just that - short.

There is just not enough substance to sustain a full length feature, let alone one that lasts a full two hours. There is too much padding and the story gets tedious, to the point that after a while I was just waiting for it to end.

Speaking of, the ending has been divisive, some people applauding the open ending while others were frustrated by it... and surprisingly, I have to say I'm in the latter camp. I'm usually all about films that have no clear resolution.

.. but damn, there is absolutely no emotional payoff with this one. Overall, though the story is fascinating and the acting is superb, it's the length that killed this movie. If it had been 80 or even 90 minutes, I would have given it a much higher rating.