Director Ava DuVernay gives us a well-meaning, but underwhelming take on the Young adult classic.
Director: Ava DuVernay
Starring: Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon
Running time: 109 mins
Madeleine L’Engle’s, 1968, sci-fi adventure “A Wrinkle in Time,” is one of a number of “impossible to adapt to screen,” novels we have seen over the years. The in depth scientific concepts, visuals that would necessitate a big studio budget and wider themes of authoritarianism and corruption being the source of evil perhaps being too deep to adapt into a children’s film. A Wrinkle in Time, however, takes those risky stand out elements of the source material and decides that, rather than trying to make an interesting movie, make a safe movie instead.
The movie centres around temperamental, teenage science prodigy Meg (Storm Reid), whose Nasa scientist father (Chris Pine) mysteriously disappears after ambiguously defined space exploration and experimentation goes wrong. When she encounters three Goddesses of light, one unironically played by Oprah Winfrey, she learns her father has been taken by the mysterious dark “It”, a force responsible for literally every negative thought you’ve ever had. Partnered with her plot convened love interest and her brilliant minded, boy-genius brother Charles-Wallace, she must embark on a visually pleasing spectacle of an adventure to find her father.
Ultimately, the underlying problem with A Wrinkle in Time is that it takes an ambitious concept but gives us a movie too afraid to take risks. It presents the audience with interesting ideas but is excruciatingly condescending in its delivery. We are told Meg is special, but never see what makes her special. We are told that the Goddesses of light have some divine purpose, yet they simply act as an intergalactic tour guide. We are told there is wider thematic meaning to the “It” without seeing any consequence except for an awkward emo-doppelganger scene in the third act. Potentially engaging thematic concepts are diluted down to a simplistic, “sad is bad” conveyed in the most on-the-nose explanation.
It supplements genuine emotion with atmospheric music and lighting in a way that those not watching with the aim to critique will simply ignore
Perhaps more disappointing is the fact that there is always implied emotional depth and character relationships, yet no real moments of character interaction occur other than awkward teenage flirting. The movie bases much of its third act on a familial bond that is never really established. No matter what the admittedly atmospheric soundtrack implies, there is little heart-warming about any of these character moments.
A Wrinkle in Time does very explicitly carry an important message of overcoming your own negative feelings of self-worthiness and teaching to overcome adversity, yet this never really feels earned and although well intentioned, feels unnatural and undeserved. It does, however, garner a level of rebellious respect off me, in the sense that the movie doesn’t seem to care that a fully-grown man isn’t its target audience. The movie embraces the visual spectacle and general sense of glamour. Although emotionally charged moments are unearned and Meg’s eventual conclusion to her character arc feels out of left field, it supplements genuine emotion with atmospheric music and lighting in a way that those not watching with the aim to critique will simply ignore.
A Wrinkle in Time is an oversimplified adaption of a young adult classic. An emotionless, yet glamourous, visually pleasing film that, although carrying a well-intentioned message, never truly hits home. The most important question, however, is that “will the 12-year-old target audience of this movie be entertained,” probably. Other than that, this movie a forgettable spectacle: a 2018 equivalent of Tomorrowland.
Did you know? When Mrs. Who says, "Daaaang! Tucker, American," she is referring to Chris Tucker's popular "daaaamn" line from the Friday film series.
A Wrinkle in Time is screening at Broadway Cinema until Thursday 12 April
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