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Member since:31.10.2000
Reviews:148
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Review rated by 25 Ciao members on average: very helpful
Wonder Boys is a truly enjoyable movie, combining a fine lead performance from Michael Douglas in a meandering, richly comic story that leaves you feeling generally better about life than when you started watching it. This is no modern film, nowhere are the clichéd gimmicks designed to briefly entertain before the plot and characters fade into post viewing oblivion. This is a wonderfully relaxed film that is simply a pleasure to watch as the humour from a witty script and certain set pieces integrated with fully developed characters washes enjoyment over you rather than forcing it vigorously down your throat.
At the centre of a deliberately loose plot is flawed writer and teacher Professor Grady Tripp who is facing considerable upheaval in his life. His wife has recently left him; his affair with his Faculty Head’s wife has borne difficult-to-explain fruit, he is the centre of one student’s affections and finds himself in charge of another’s seemingly fragile grip on sanity. Added to this his second book which has now taken seven years is unfinished but is now coming under scrutiny by his inquisitive
agent. As Tripp himself admits he is having ‘one fucked up day’.
Unfortunately for Tripp, whose name is apt given his penchant for marijuana, things can and do get worse and the added worry of a dead dog, belonging to the husband of his mistress, and a stolen jacket compound his difficult weekend. Impressively Wonder Boys takes the myriad of different storylines in its stride and comfortably avoids confusion with its relaxed un-muddled style mimicking that of the lead character. The result is a pleasure to watch with smatterings of slapstick adding to the sharp and witty script.
As far as the performances go there can be no complaints, this film highlights the talent of Michael Douglas especially if compared to his role in Falling Down, he underplays Tripp perfectly and combines the dishevelled appearance and world weariness with the hint of a romantic to generate a very watchable lead. In supporting roles Robert Downey Junior plays his homosexual agent with charisma and magnificently steals every scene he appears in. It is a performance that makes his persistent drug use and subsequent incarcerations all the more galling.
Elsewhere Tobey Maguire is thoroughly believable as the troubled student, he has an almost uncanny knack of looking like he lives in a slightly different reality to the rest of us. His performance James Leer is another worthy addition to his repertoire although I fear he may soon become typecast in oddball roles. Both Frances McDormand, as Tripp’s love interest, and Rip Torn, as a literary rival, play their roles with suitable zest and the delectable Katie Holmes appears as the student smitten with her Professor. Whilst it is nice to see Holmes in a slightly more serious role than the teen movies she has frequented thus far, it is clear that she has a long way to go before she can claim any real plaudits. Admittedly she looks stunning in this movie but is outperformed by the more accomplished cast.
Director Curtis Hanson deserves considerable credit for this film especially as it is his follow up movie to the superb LA Confidential that was easily the finest movie of 1997. A very different movie this, and Hanson has recognised that to get the best out of his actors in a character driven film he needed to give them both time and space to develop. He has done both and whilst some will complain that the result is too slow paced, I would argue that in a story that is supposed to be lighter on plot than character, slow paced does not necessarily mean boring. I would concede that there are moments where the film can drag slightly but as a whole the director has done well to get the best out of a talented cast which is no mean feat.
So as always to the conclusion and to be honest this is a difficult one to give advice on. Wonder Boys is not for those who crave constant diversion in the form of mindless action or for those who need their humour in the current over-the-top American Pie type comedies. It is more gentle movie than should be appreciated for what it is a film that has a wonderfully comic script and great performances from talented actors. Don’t expect to be bowled over just let it wash over you and you’ll begin to appreciate what Wonder Boys has to offer.
Certificate: 15 Running Time: 111 mins Tomatometer Rating: 82% (From www.rottentomatoes.com see opinion)
I love this film, and the humour of it was proved to me by the fact that there were a total of six people in the cinema when I saw it (including me and a friend) and we were all in hysterics. Plus I've never like Michael Douglas before now. Was going to write an op but you've said what I wanted to! Alex :)
the hero in one weekend than would bother most of us our whole lives. Professor Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas) is an aging one-novel wunderkind at a small Pittsburgh col...
few of the crises piling up like a logjam in this often hilarious story of bright promise gone awry. During a single hectic weekend college professor Grady Tripp (Mic...
few of the crises piling up like a logjam in this often hilarious story of bright promise gone awry. During a single hectic weekend college professor Grady Tripp (Mic...
![Wonder Boys [DVD] [2000]](http://images.ciao.com/ide/images/icons/no_pic_generic_S1.gif){kind=icon}
01.02.2002 19:23
I love this film, and the humour of it was proved to me by the fact that there were a total of six people in the cinema when I saw it (including me and a friend) and we were all in hysterics. Plus I've never like Michael Douglas before now. Was going to write an op but you've said what I wanted to! Alex :)
19.10.2001 04:20
Thanks for the comments on my own op...yep, it's a bit of a gem, this movie. Top review. Cheers, J.
18.06.2001 14:57
sounds worth a watch.. thanks as ususal Claire