Wonderstruck

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Movie
Original title Wonderstruck
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2017
length 117 minutes
Rod
Director Todd Haynes
script Brian Selznick
production Pamela Koffler ,
John Sloss ,
Christine Vachon
music Carter Burwell
camera Edward Lachman
cut Affonso Gonçalves
occupation

Wonderstruck is a youth film by Todd Haynes . The film drama tells the story of two deaf youths who live in the USA 50 years apart. Both dream of a better life and are in search of the lost family happiness that leads them to New York. The lives of Ben and Rose are mysteriously connected. In Wonder Struck is the adaptation of the illustrated children's book by Brian Selznick (dt Title:. Wonder Light ) which for the film through it done yourself. The film celebrated its world premiere on May 18, 2017 at the 70th Cannes Film Festival .

action

Wonderstruck tells the story of two young people, Ben and Rose, who live in two different epochs 50 years apart. Both are in search of certain people and the lost happiness of their families and secretly dream for a better life.

In Minnesota in the 1970s: twelve-year-old Ben lives in Gunflint and leads a sheltered life. One thing gnaws at the boy, however, because he would like to finally get to know his unknown biological father, but his mother Elaine persistently refuses to talk about him. Ben imagines that his father might be an astronomer, which explains why he likes space so much. In an old exhibition catalog with the title “Cabinets of Wonder”, Ben found a possible reference to his father one night when a bad storm was raging outside. But then lightning strikes the house and Ben first loses his hearing, then his mother too. Ben stays with his aunt, his uncle and their two children, and there he keeps having strange nightmares about wolves. Ben often goes to Gunflint Lake, where he used to be a lot with his mother.

Not only Rose, but also Ben visits the American Museum of Natural History in New York , where the film was shot

One day in 1977, the deaf boy went to New York with a little money that he inherited from his mother to investigate the clues to his father in the book. When he arrived in New York, Ben went in search of “Kincaid Books”, a bookstore whose address he found in the book during the thunderstorm night. In New York a kind of friendship develops between Ben and a boy he meets there on the street and later again in the Natural History Museum. Because Ben has read the book “The job of a museum curator”, he knows from the work of a museum curator that he selects the exhibits for a museum.

50 years earlier, in the 1920s in New Jersey: Little Rose lives in Hoboken in 1927. The silent film actors of their time are the deaf girl's greatest passion. She has made an entire album of pictures and newspaper clippings of them, and one day she reads an exciting article in one of these newspapers that encourages her to visit the Big Apple. Unaccompanied, she goes to New York to her beloved older brother Walter to visit Lillian Mayhew, who works here as an actress, and has a role in the melodrama Daughter Of The Storm , in which she moves all viewers to tears . In town, she meets a friendly stranger whose father works in the Natural History Museum. It's the same museum Ben will visit in New York 50 years later.

Back in 1977, the lights went out during a major blackout in New York.

production

Literary template and staff

The film is an adaptation of the illustrated children's book Wonderstruck (English title: Wunderlicht ) by Brian Selznick , who, as a screenwriter, also adapted this book for the film. Selznick's book The Discovery of Hugo Cabret (original title The Invention of Hugo Cabret ) from 2007 was filmed by Martin Scorsese and was released in German cinemas in 2011 under the title Hugo Cabret . In Wonderstruck , Selznick tells the story of two deaf children in different ages, the girl Rose in 1927 and the boy Ben in 1977. Both leave their homes to find shelter in New York. Rose finds accommodation with her brother Walter, who, unlike her strict father, deals with her handicap quite naturally. Ben finds his previously unknown father there. The book tells Ben's story in words and Rose's story in pictures.

The film was produced by Amazon Studios. The director took Todd Haynes . In his film he tells the two stories in constant alternation. Carsten Baumgardt from Filmstarts explains that for the viewer the film initially looks as if there are two completely different films to be seen at once. The episode in the 1920s is staged completely in black and white and without audible dialogues and noises and thus almost like a silent film from that time. For these passages in the film, Haynes was inspired by the silent films of the 1920s , including Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's German expressionist films and King Vidor's Ein Mensch der Masse . In general, the noiseless scenes would allow the viewer to immerse themselves in the perception of the deaf protagonist in parts, says Baumgardt. Haynes staged the actual connection that exists between Ben and Rose in a mise en scène in the middle of a miniature model of New York that is in the Art Museum in New York.

occupation

Millicent Simmonds , Jaden Michael , Brian Selznick , Todd Haynes , Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore at the premiere of the film in Cannes in May 2017

The role of Ben, the film's twelve-year-old male protagonist in the 1970s, was cast with Oakes Fegley , who last starred in the 2016 film Elliot, the Dragon by David Lowery . His mother Elaine is played by the four-time Oscar-nominated actress Michelle Williams , but she only appears briefly in the film as the free-spirited mother of Ben.

The twelve-year-old Rose, who lives 50 years before Ben, is played by the child actress Millicent Simmonds . For the 13-year-old novice actor, who is also deaf in real life, this was the first leading role in a feature film. Her mother, actress Lillian Mayhem, is played by Julianne Moore . Moore also plays the older rose.

Rose's older brother Walter, starring Cory Michael Smith , is played at the age of Tom Noonan . Amy Hargreaves appears in the film as Aunt Jenny, Morgan Turner plays Janet, and Jaden Michael took on the role of Jamie. James Urbaniak plays Dr. Kincaid, who is Rose's father, and Anthony Natale plays the deaf teacher Dr. Gill. Howard Seago can be seen in the role of theater director Remy Rubin.

Filming and equipment

Filming began on May 4, 2016 and took place in Peekskill, a town about 40 miles north of New York, including Brown Street, which was redesigned for the film as the location for the city of Hoboken in the 1920s , where Rose lives in the film before her trip to New York. Further filming took place in the American Museum of Natural History in New York , which Rose and Ben visit every 50 years in the film. Todd Haynes said it was an incredible honor to be able to film, but it was also a challenge as they had to get everything they needed to film in and out each day, including the lighting for the set Times to be dismantled. Edward Lachman acted as cameraman . In addition to film recordings, Wonderstruck also contains animation sequences.

Mark Friedberg designed the production . Alissa Wilkinson from Vox describes the world that was designed in the film as a kind of spacious cabinet of curiosities, and Carsten Baumgardt from Filmstarts is particularly impressed by the gigantic diorama of New York that was created in the film for the 1964 World's Fair and one truly eye-opening role. According to Baumgardt, this is a visual masterpiece that is second to none, as is the design of the 1970s setting as a whole, which brings time to life in a fantastically authentic way. In his review, Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent also particularly highlights the new creation of New York in the late 1970s, which is portrayed as a busy city full of trash, prostitutes and shabby people, in which the once elegant cinema in which Lillian Mayhews films were shown has given way to a shabby, shabby porn cinema. The blackout shown at the end of the film in New York really happened, which is why the population still distrusts the ailing power grid. In July 1977 a massive power failure paralyzed the entire city. The consequences were particularly disastrous in the slums, with marauding hordes looting shops and setting fires.

Costumes and film music

Three-time Oscar winner Sandy Powell was responsible for the film as a costume designer. In this capacity she worked for an earlier film adaptation of a book by Brian Selznick . For the 2011 film Hugo Cabret by Martin Scorsese , Powell received a nomination for her work at the 2012 Academy Awards .

The score was composed by Carter Burwell . This music is of particular importance for the film because the viewer, like the two deaf protagonists Ben and Rose, does not hear any dialogues, and Wonderstruck therefore seems like a silent film in places . Burwell therefore created a largely atmospheric music that underlines what can be seen on the screen, similar to the musical accompaniment during the silent film era.

Other pieces of music played in the film include David Bowie's Space Oddity , which can be heard right at the beginning and during which the Oscar Wilde quote “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars” is faded in. In this way, Haynes effectively conjures up the magic of dreaming without limits, says Carsten Baumgardt. A funky cover by Eumir Deodato of the symphonic poem Also sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss , which transports the mood of the poetic images of New York in the 1970s into an almost magical sphere, says Baumgardt. The soundtrack for the film includes 28 pieces of music and was released on October 20, 2017 by Lakeshore Records. On this date Lakeshore Records also announced a special edition of the soundtrack, on which there are three bonus tracks and will be released as a download.

publication

To distribute the film, Amazon Studios entered into a partnership with Roadside Attractions . On May 18, 2017, the film celebrated its world premiere as part of the 70th Cannes Film Festival , where it was shown in the official competition and competed for the Palme d' Or. The film was presented at the Locarno International Film Festival from August 7, 2017 . In September 2017 the film was shown at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and in October 2017 at the London Film Festival and the New York Film Festival . The film was shown in selected US cinemas from October 20, 2017 and was released in French cinemas on November 15, 2017.

reception

Reviews

So far, the film has won over 69 percent of Rotten Tomatoes critics .

Alissa Wilkinson from Vox.com calls Wonderstruck a masterful children's film , which is also ideal for people of all ages: " Wonderstruck feels like a magical fairy tale , although nothing is supernatural in it."

The Independent's Geoffrey Macnab says the film is ambitious but devoid of magic. Wonderstruck has its graceful moments, but there aren't enough of them, Macnab said. The various timeframes in the film, Macnab said, created a distraction from the story and the film ran the risk of losing its power and coherence.

Tim Hamann from the Berlin Journal says the film will be carried by Oakes Fegley . Todd Haynes, on the other hand, got too lost in the small details of his story and neglected the big picture a little too much, so Hamann.

Vulture's Kyle Buchanan says the film could expect nominations , especially in the technical categories at the 2018 Academy Awards , such as Ed Lachman for Best Cinematography , Sandy Powell for Best Costumes and Carter Burwell for Best Score , who did something special because long stretches of the film are not spoken of. Anne Thompson of IndieWire agrees with him on these technical categories . Buchanan also saw opportunities for nomination in the Best Adapted Screenplay category , for production design and editing, but also for Best Make-up and Hair Styling .

Awards

On December 18, 2017, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Carter Burwell's work was on a shortlist from which it would be nominated for Best Film Music for the 2018 Academy Awards . The following is a selection of nominations for other film awards.

Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2018

Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2017

  • Nomination for Original Score: Feature Film (Carter Burwell)

Cannes International Film Festival 2017

Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2017

  • Nomination for Best Young Actor (Millicent Simmonds)

Satellite Awards 2017

literature

  • Selznick, Brian. Wonderstruck: a novel in words and pictures . 1st edition New York: Scholastic, 2011.
  • Selznick, Brian. Wonder light . Translated by Uwe-Michael Gutzschhahn. 1st edition Munich: cbj, 2012.

Web links

Commons : Wonderstruck  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Hannah Pilarczyk: Cannes diary 1. Again with feeling In: Spiegel Online, May 18, 2017.
  2. ^ Wonderstruck In: moviepilot.de. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  3. ↑ Mike Vago: Amazon Studios to produce Todd Haynes' Wonderstruck In: December 10, 2015.
  4. ↑ a b c Carsten Baumgardt: Wonderstruck In: filmstarts.de. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  5. ↑ Todd Haynes in conversation with Emily Buder: 'Wonderstruck': Todd Haynes' Cannes Film 'Draws Attention to Film Language in Every Way' In: nofilmschool.com, May 18, 2017.
  6. ↑ Tuesday, May 3 Filming Locations for YDKK, Wonderstruck, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Walking Dead, The Blacklist, & more! In: onlocationvacations.com, May 2, 2016.
  7. ↑ Todd Haynes production of Wonderstruck being filmed in Peekskill In: lohud.com. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  8. ↑ Todd Haynes in conversation with Emily Buder: 'Wonderstruck': Todd Haynes' Cannes Film 'Draws Attention to Film Language in Every Way' In: nofilmschool.com, May 18, 2017.
  9. ↑ Geoffrey Macnab: Wonderstruck review - Cannes 2017: Ambitious but doesn't quite deliver the magic In: independent.co.uk, May 21, 2017.
  10. ↑ Alissa Wilkinson: Cannes 2017: Wonderstruck is a master class in making kids' films, from Carol director Todd Haynes In: vox.com, May 18, 2017.
  11. ↑ Carsten Baumgardt Wonderstruck In: filmstarts.de. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  12. ↑ Geoffrey Macnab: Wonderstruck review - Cannes 2017: Ambitious but doesn't quite deliver the magic In: independent.co.uk, May 21, 2017.
  13. ↑ Marc Pitzke: Blackout from 1977: New York's Darkest Night In: Spiegel Online, July 13, 2007.
  14. ^ Gregg Kilday: Cannes: Todd Haynes' 'Wonderstruck' Stakes Oscar Claim In: The Hollywood Reporter, May 18, 2017.
  15. ↑ a b Alissa Wilkinson: Cannes 2017: Wonderstruck is a master class in making kids' films, from Carol director Todd Haynes In: vox.com, May 18, 2017.
  16. ↑ http://filmmusicreporter.com/2017/10/02/wonderstruck-soundtrack-details/
  17. ↑ Lakeshore Records to Release 'Wonderstruck' Soundtrack In: filmmusicreporter.com, September 7, 2017.
  18. ↑ http://filmmusicreporter.com/2017/10/09/wonderstruck-special-edition-soundtrack-announced/
  19. ↑ a b Brent Lang: Todd Haynes' 'Wonderstruck' Scores Awards-Season Release From Amazon, Roadside In: Variety, May 3, 2017.
  20. ^ Program of the 70th Locarno Film Festival In: pardo.ch. Retrieved on August 6, 2017 (PDF; 12.1 MB)
  21. ↑ Pearls In: sansebastianfestival.com. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  22. ↑ https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=wonderstruck&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=
  23. ^ Wonderstruck In: Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  24. ↑ Geoffrey Macnab: Wonderstruck review - Cannes 2017: Ambitious but doesn't quite deliver the magic In: independent.co.uk, May 21, 2017.
  25. ↑ Tim Hamann: Film review for: 'Wonderstruck' by Todd Haynes In: Berlin Journal, May 20, 2017.
  26. ^ A b Kyle Buchanan: Which Cannes Movies Could Become Oscar Contenders? In: vulture.com, May 28, 2017.
  27. ^ Anne Thompson: 2018 Oscar Predictions In: indiewire.com, May 10, 2017.
  28. ↑ Zack Sharf: Oscars 2018: Best Original Score Shortlist Includes 'The Shape of Water', 'All the Money in the World' and More In: indiewire.com, December 18, 2017.
  29. ↑ Grace Mendoza: Critics' Choice Awards Nominations In: ktla.com, December 6, 2017.
  30. ↑ 8th Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominations Announced In: filmmusicreporter.com, October 25, 2017.
  31. ↑ 2017 Awards Winners ( Memento of the original from January 4, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.phoenixfilmcriticssociety.org archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: phoenixfilmcriticssociety.org. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  32. ↑ Steve Pond: 'Dunkirk', 'The Shape of Water' Lead Satellite Award Nominations In: thewrap.com, November 29, 2017.