There were few movies in 2020 that quite had the effect on this writer as Wander Darkly. It hit me hard—like a ton of bricks. Largely due to the subject matter and emotionally riveting performances by Diego Luna and especially Sienna Miller.
The written and Directed by Tara Miele tale is on Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital formats currently and is a don’t miss. It made my top 20 of 2020 (near the top!) and is a must-see movie if you missed it earlier. It is a film that will mess with your head, keep you guessing as to where the truth lies and where the fantastical ends, and, in the end, you will be a wet rag having experienced this life-changing emotional rollercoaster.
Miller is Adrienne and Luna is her partner Matteo. The two have an infant at home and manage to get out for the night for the first time since parenthood. They have a horrible car accident and at that moment the movie alters its tenor and becomes something equally magical, maniacal, and will have you looking at life in ways you never thought possible.
Adrienne is convinced she died in the crash, Matteo is there for her, doing everything he can to ensure she settles down and is there for her new child, her other half, and mostly for herself. From the get-go, Wander Darkly will have you questioning what is real, what is imagined in Adrienne’s head, and most importantly, where truth meets life’s reality.
The couple was having issues before the crash, that permeate the moments and days after it. That will bleed through every frame of Miele’s film in a way that will make it feel like a psychological trip gone bad with flares of life’s beauty that are inescapable and will stick with you permanently.
Luna is masterful, playing all sorts of angles on his character that are utterly brilliant. The Mexican actor channels all the human emotional entanglements in the human toolbox and does so almost effortlessly. He is so supportive of Adrienne, but there is something at work here and we cannot put our collective fingers on it at any single point throughout the film until the very end. When that conclusion hits, it’ll be like an entire building of bricks that hit you in the stomach and leave you reeling. That is only possible through the performances of the leads and as Diego plays his part, it is perfection incarnate.
Miller is being triumph need for an Academy Award and rightfully so—she is dazzling, desperate and above all else—waiting for the other shoe to drop in her life that should be celebrated. She survived a horrific car crash that has left her entire family adrift in loss and grief that the daughter that has emerged from the wreckage is not the same as the one who entered the car earlier that night. The actress does her best work of her entire career and it is an experience that can be undertaken over and over in order to pick out little clues that are dropped along the way like breadcrumbs. The audience is likely too moved to notice such things, but that is why purchasing Wander Darkly makes the most sense because it is a film that needs repeated viewings because even after a handful, there still be things to concern yourself with and issues to iron out and mysteries to unravel.
In the hands of the British actress, her car crash survivor is not the same, no. But then again, who is after such a horrific accident. Yet as she plays Adrienne, this is a woman on the edge, and inching closer to that chasm every moment of every day. Matteo is there for her, and so is her family, but there is only so much one can do for someone. They have to want to get better.
But then again, is everything he what it seems?
Filmmaker Miele drew from personal experience to pen this script and bring the story to life with her impeccable direction. It is a revelation of the highest power. We cannot say enough about this picture without recommending you dive into it as soon as possible and don’t know anything more about it than we have chronicled here. You’ll thank us.
The Wander Darkly Blu-Ray special features reinforce the messages of the film itself and are inseparable from their power.
Given the personal nature of the film to the filmmaker, this is one of those rare occasions where I would recommend starting the entire cinematic experience over again with the commentary track from writer/director Miele turned on. She provides some incredible insight into not only the making of the movie, technically, but the emotional baggage that she brought to the production and brilliantly imparted on her actors. Miele goes deep and explores themes, inspirations, sets and locations, and even her choice of music as it pertains to the overall feel, sentiment, and emotional power of this masterpiece.
Next up, I would dive into Narrative Therapy. The 15 minute featurette offers priceless insight from Miele, but also producers Lynette Howell Taylor, Samantha Housman, Monica Levinson and Shivani Rawat, as well as deeply personal and moving contributions from Miller and Luna. Don’t miss this one.
Therapy explores the movie’s deep-seated motivations that drive the story and thus, the characters. It is a marvel that will only enhance the Wander Darkly experience.
Grade: A+
Bonus Features: A