Wakefield is weird. Based on
the short story by E.L. Doctorow, it’s about a New York lawyer named Howard
Wakefield (Bryan Cranston) who, likely due to a nervous breakdown, suddenly decides
to “vanish” after arriving home from work.
Instead of entering the front door of his house, he proceeds to go up the
attic above their house’s separate garage.
In the following weeks, as everyone believes him to be missing or dead,
there he stays and hides in the attic, surviving by scavenging for food when
nobody’s looking, while secretly observing his wife (Jennifer Garner),
children, and neighbors, and contemplating about his life.
The peculiar premise is what drew
me to Wakefield. It’s dark, ridiculous, and novel. There’s just something morbidly romantic about
the idea of walking away from your life without any prior notice but still be
able to somehow closely observe what you left behind. To apply this on a plot immediately makes it an
interesting one. This holds true to this
movie as the result is a compelling, thoughtful drama.
Cranston’s invested performance
and magnetic voiceover monologues power a fascinating character study. Howard Wakefield is a well-layered character. He’s pitiful but, at the same time,
obnoxious. You simultaneously root for
and against him. As the movie unfolds, there’s
some excitement found in anticipating how his predicament will be resolved. Will he reveal himself? Will he be discovered? Will he permanently abandon his life and
family? And I was satisfied where the character ended
up, as it feels logical, based on how the body of the movie fleshed him out.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a
drama film similar to Wakefield. It’s quite unique. It’s not necessarily one of this year’s best
movies, but it’s definitely one of its must-watch.
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