Wilby Wonderful
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Movie Reviews of Wilby Wonderful
Movie Review: Wonderful indeed!
Summary: 5 Stars
I received this DVD as part of a movie of the month club of sorts, and it has been my favorite film so far in the series. Wilby Wonderful is a fantastic Canadian film with an all-Canadian cast, set in a small Canadian island town, called Wilby. The small, seemingly innocent town of Wilby is a hotbed of secrets and lies, that have the potential to destroy people's lives and the very town itself. The story revolves around several characters and their problems with themselves and each other. They go about their daily lives with their personal secrets tearing them apart inside, and it all spills out in the final climax. The most notable performances in a film full of great performances are those of Sandra Oh (Sideways) as Carol French and Callum Keith Rennie (The Butterfly Effect) as Duck MacDonald. Keep an eye out for this film and see it by any means possible. Wilby Wonderful will brighten your day.Movie Review: serendipity
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this DVD based on multiple recommendations I've seen on the web and from friends with shared interests. Initially, I mostly went for the Callum Keith Rennie factor, and he was terrific in this movie, no questions about it. For CKR fans, this is one of the most enjoyable roles he's played where his talents are not abused by scripts looking for a brilliant and intense villain.
On top of that, I was most pleasantly surprised by how well the ensemble of great actors came together -- everyone else on the film carried their own weight and made the gestalt so much more than I ever could've expected. This is a refreshing treat for those tired of the graphic violence, gloom, or cheesy inanity plaguing the postmodern cinema.
Movie Review: Gentle, Insightful and Funny
Summary: 5 Stars
Wonderful writing, superb casting and acting. This is a gentle tale of a day in a small town. Callum Rennie is the guardian angel whose quiet wisdom begins and ends the piece. A nice non-thug role for Rennie. The town sheriff and his real estate agent wife (Paul Gross and Sandra Oh -- both brilliant) have drifted away from each other. Writer/Director MacIvor gave himself the funniest moments: wry and silly. James Allodi is a sad-eyed wonder. Rebecca Jenkins and Ellen Page are a dream as mother and daughter. And Maury Chaykin plays slimy with gusto. A movie to be watched over and over... and to learn from each time.Movie Review: refreshing
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been filling out my DVD collection with a lot of Canadian films lately, and so far Wilby Wonderful has been my favorite. I've watched it over and over. It is an exceptional film with a great cast and is especially good for us who are getting very fed up with shoot-em-up Hollywood crap.
My favorite character is Callum Keith Rennie (Flower and Garnet)as Duck MacDonald. He seems simple but he's the wisest one of them all and has a deep understanding of people.
It's refreshing to know that there are still new stories to be told, even if you have to go to Canada to find them.
Movie Review: A superb, highly intelligent film
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a marvelous "small" film. I don't mean "small" to denote anything perjorative. It is merely that the film tells a small story very close up and personal with a fairly small ensemble cast. I didn't check the closing credits but there may not have been a special effects coordinator. The film tells in subtle fashion the story of the lives of several residents of the Canadian island Wilby. The town looks peaceful enough, but it opening shots reveal a simmering scandal. The names of individuals who meet at a secluded and undeveloped area of the island -- presumably for homosexual encounters and drug use -- are about to be revealed. Not coincidentally we see a man climbing onto the rail of a bridge, presumably to jump into the river below. We later learn that he and another resident of the island were likely to be among the names released.
Very little beyond this happens in the film. We meet people and witness the small but familiar stresses in their lives. A police officer (played by the wonderful Paul Gross) who is tempted to have an affair with a woman he went to high school with who has returned to the island to run a diner. His marriage with a high strung, highly driven realtor (Sandra Oh) is not going well and his wife forces herself to be oblivious to problems they have. The woman who runs the diner desperately wants to be loved and is concerned her young daughter (played by up and comer Ellen Page, who I loved as Kitty Pryde -- my favorite X-Person -- in THE X-MEN 3) will repeat her mistakes. The daughter, on the other hand, thinks she has found love with a young boy and is contemplating losing her virginity to him. The town handyman (played by Callum Keith Rennie, Gross's former costar in DUE SOUTH and one of those delightful, fun loving Cylons on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) is more or less resigned to his forced outing and is more concerned with reaching out to Dan, his co-conspirator. Dan, on the other hand, seems more determined to end his life.
Thoreau wrote that the mass of men live lives of quiet desperation and that certainly applies to the residents of Wilby. These are not happy people and are generally not admirable people, except perhaps for Duck (Rennie's character) who is not only an apparently kind person but also steps in as a hero in saving the young girl from a sexual assault. But despite all the problems of these decidedly limited souls, the movie ends quite, well, wonderfully.
I liked this movie a great deal. I'll be honest: I think the plethora of 5-star ratings is not quite deserved. To me 5-star ratings should be reserved for unquestionably great films. This is a very, very nice, good, pleasant, unambitious, small film. And there is nothing wrong with that. If you like thoughtful, intelligent films you should definitely see it. If you have attention deficit disorder you should seek out something else entirely.