an A WRINKLE IN TIME musing
A WRINKLE IN TIME goes for it, and that’s pretty important. The story may not work during a lot of its runtime, since it’s not very interesting, but its themes are what carried the movie. I have never read the book it’s based on, so I can’t really say what’s been adapted well. WRINKLE is meant for kids, specifically middle school-aged minorities, and the few children that were also in the theater were audibly cheering and talking (thankfully not being annoying). I wish I had a child’s mind as I watched this.
Visually and thematically, the movie works some magic. There are always a few great moments in movies I’m not very fond of, and the same applies to this one. Storm Reid plays our main character, Meg, who goes on a search through time and space to find her father. It seems rare in film that a white boy would trust a black girl, but it’s a small touch that makes this movie feel more unique. Director Ava DuVernay only did this movie because she was able to cast a person of color, and through that casting also let subtle race commentary shine through. The story is a bit of a mess, as DuVernay doesn’t seem to have a handle on it, but scenes with the family are some of the strongest in the film.
WRINKLE seems to be at war with itself, struggling to match its ambition and big ol’ heart with visuals and a script that doesn’t make its actors look bad. It hurts that a lot of the decisions made with characters and lack of explanation with most of them doesn't add up in the end. But it held me for the first few minutes, dragged, but found its way back into my heart with a strong finale. (No spoilers, but that scene which involves colorful hallways was so beautifully composed, I started choking up.) As a sucker for family drama, it was inevitable this movie would hit me in more than one way. It’s incredibly and unapologetically earnest (although lacking), and it’s still refreshing to see that play out, no matter how many times movies in 2018 are that way.
RATING: WHY DID I WATCH THIS?
(Refer to my rating system HERE!)
