Wakefield

Hollywood horse manure about the true meaning of life. This film is a rip off of the Kirk Doughlas film, The Arrangement and honestly the Arrangement was a much better film. Film makers always want the public to believe that most successful people are miserable and unfulfilled and that they are holding on by the tips of their fingers before having a complete meltdown. I find it hard to believe that eating out of a garbage can and going to the toilet in the bushes or a plastic bottle will give me the meaning of life. I am sorry, but this film is idiotic and totally unbelievable. Trash is a perfect review for a film in which the main character becomes a complete disgusting trash bucket, but somehow finds the meaning to life.

Wakefield, as the name suggests, is the story of a man named Howard Wakefield who "awakens" to discover that his family does not want, need, miss or love him. The journey to this realization is suspenseful and at some point, if you are really tracking, your heart breaks for him. At first, hiding in the garage attic spying on his wife and kids for months at a time, watching them go from surprise, to grief, to healing, to an enjoyment of daily life far more satisfying than his dour nature would allow, seems the ultimate in manipulation and as a result, nothing more than Howard deserves. But there is more to Howard than his compulsive spying. His isolation manifests in a heightened spiritual childlike joy in nature. And his journey also reveals his deep love for his wife, whom he wooed and won to spite a challenger, but who is now absolutely central to his world. Howard makes his final move when that old challenger comes back into her life, months after Howard's closet is emptied, and the family's celebrations of the Christmas holiday demonstrate real and true joy without him. Howard then makes the sacrifice of returning to his family, so that they can find closure and get on with the business of ejecting and replacing him with his old rival. It is clear his wife will never know of either his deep feelings nor of his sacrifice; nor will she care. The existential despair of the male provider, the ostensible head of the family, has never been so beautifully wrought. Is he loved for himself, or as a meal ticket? This question was touched upon during the last episode of Mad Men, when Don Draper reacted sympathetically to a male participant of a support group who claimed that no one spoke to him at the dinner table. Howard was a man determined to find out what was behind that dining room table silence, and heartrendingly, succeeded in answering that question. A beautiful film noir that looks at the dark underbelly of the "successful" head of the household and the emotional price men can pay for their financial power. I think Brian Cranston deserves an Oscar. Nine stars because this film is just too darn creepily close to some very uncomfortable truths.

While Bryan Cranstons casting and an intriguing hide in the garage plot is largely enjoyable, the climax is disappointing. We watch as Cranston fails to return home, hides in the garage and watches his family as a missing person. When he does finally walk back through the Door, the film ends. Very disappointing, how did he explain himself, was he accepted back into the arms of his wife and children? Who knows.. Is this just a ruse for a sequel, I think not, but it left me deflated and wanting to know what happened next.. Avoid.

To put it frankly, I feel like I've just been robbed of 1hr and 46minutes of my life. I saw the film through hoping that the end would make the rest of it a little less shocking but no that didn't happen. That's 1hr 46minutes I'll never see again. Bryan Cranston should have stuck to being Walter White because his career just took a right nosedive.

The only reason to sit through this movie is to root for Bryan Cranston to die, and I'm a Bryan Cranston fan. Skip this unless you have insomnia.

Wakefield is a film starring Bryan Cranston as the man who hides in a garage for months looking at the events in his house and everyone thinking he's missing. Basically, he's looking at his life without him. It's an interesting premise on it's own, but the movie never really does anything about that and the plot barely goes anywhere through the entire movie. And yeah, don't expect much of a resolution at the end. This is something that works on paper, but doesn't translate to the screen very well. One of the biggest problems is also a lack of interesting and creative direction. If a director made it stranger and more unique, it would have been a lot more interesting. This way, it just doesn't stick out. But still, it's filled with powerful performances, especially from Bryan Cranston, who never fails to impress and pretty much carries the entire movie with his performance and he might be one of the few reasons it wasn't completely uninteresting. The premise itself, a few interesting but not memorable enough moments and the premise are what saves this movie from being bad. But it's not particularly good either. While the run-time isn't long the movie is longer than it should be and by the last third the end can't come soon enough. Only watch if you're a big fan of Cranston. Other than that, you won't find much here.

This move got me intrigued for a while and I specifically waiting and avoided to read or see any reviews because I wanted to experience this movie from a blank slate. when we got the end credits of this movie I was left with a feeling of '2-hours lost i'm never getting back' What a waste of time and talent. I can sit for hours and watch Bryan Cranston act but this whole execution of an attempt to make a movie was a total miss by it's creators. Cranston is amazing to see and hear and to see him pull this sloppy story and script off with the class he brings is a a miracle. The makeup was terrible and inconsistent. The music score didn't know what it wanted to be (minimalistic, adventurous, Clint-Eastwoodesk Piano style, Jazz, Noir..) it's all over the place. The Down Syndrome actors where a disgrace to watch at, the director or editor or casting agent should be ashamed for the way these characters are brought to the screen and the way the are portrait as story filler / forced-endearing tool. There's more then smiling, pointing and repeating names and words! And the most disappointing thing of it all. The ending! I understand you want to play off the whole 'open end' feeling, but this is just bad bad writing and cinematic execution. We do not need any more discomfort at the end, it's been enough of that sitting through it all.

Bryan Cranston did a great job as always, but the plot was a little drawn out. Interesting idea for a movie, there isn't much explanation as to why he hid away for so long and why no-one ever checked the attic, but quirky and funny at times. The ending was a little frustrating but overall a decent but not amazing movie.

Greetings again from the darkness. Oscar nominated for her screenplay to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Robin Swicord's directorial debut of The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) was not particularly impressive. However, she bounces back nicely with this Bryan Cranston vehicle and one of the more creative scripts featuring internal dialogue that's ever hit the silver screen. Cranston is showing a knack for selecting interesting projects, and he excels here as the high-powered attorney who spontaneously decides to drop out of society in a most unusual manner. There is a ton of social commentary on display here with targets including married life, suburban living, career pressures, and self-doubt … substantially summed up with a line from Cranston's character, "Most everyone has had the impulse to put their life on hold." As he proceeds through his new 'unshackled' and 'primal' lifestyle while observing the world unnoticed through the small window in his garage attic, much of his focus seems to be on discovering just who he is at his core, and what is the truth behind his relationship with his wife (Jennifer Garner). It's as if he is asking "What am I?" while clinging to his previous life in a voyeuristic way. Ms. Swicord's screenplay is adapted from E.L. Doctorow's short story and it's sneaky in the way that it questions how we go about our daily life, and how one can "snap" emotionally if feeling unappreciated. It's a showcase for the other side of upper middle class white privilege, as well as suburban alienation that is so prevalent (and ignored) today. By dropping out but staying close, Cranston's character actually pays more attention to his family than he usually would if sitting next to them at the dinner table. We are accustomed to a mid-life crisis involving a sports car, marital affair or sudden career change. It's highly unusual for someone to actually "disappear". It's at that point where the narration really shines … it's insightful, observational and thought-provoking. Beyond that, the comedic edge is laden with sadness. The story humanizes this pretty despicable guy – or at least a guy who does a pretty despicable thing. The score is in the style of a 1980's Brian DePalma movie, which just adds to the unique cinematic experience. This is one to see for Cranston's performance, as well as for Ms. Swicord's commentary on today's way of life.

source: Wakefield