Wonderful World

Wonderful World. What a paradox! Especially since the main character in this film is a jaded, disinterested, pessimistic man. This is the man who always thinks that the glass is always half empty. A man who can't think of a nice explanation to sum up his day. And to see how the guy changes his attitude in life is wonderful. He is a man who befriends a girl, and unfortunately the girl is his friend's girlfriend. This girl enters his life and changes things. For th better. The transformation is nice, but it seems too slow, thus may not to the liking of other viewers who'd wanted the film to move in a faster tempo. All in all, a nice underrated film worth watching. But a word of caution; this film moves at a slow tempo.

WONDERFUL WORLD (2010) *** Matthew Broderick, Sanaa Lathan, Michael K. Williams, Jodelle Ferland, Philip Baker Hall, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ally Walker. Broderick is in fine form as a jaded, misanthropic former singer/songwriter of children's' tunes whose lack of ambition is only exceeded by his self-loathing and apathy of everyone and everything. One fateful day awakens him to new possibilities when his Senegalese roomie (Williams) suffers a diabetic shock to the system/coma and new hope arrives in the form of his comely sister (Lathan equally good here) who comes to stay with Broderick awaiting out the progress reports. What follows is a relatively well-acted dramedy with some intriguing looks at just how the socio-economic status is so in flux with what should be right and should be wrong thanks to novice director Joshua Goldin's sharply etched screenplay. The film's only falter is the ill-advised use of an imaginary character, "The Man" (veteran character actor Baker Hall) who is pretty much forgotten in the process.

Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick) is a failed children's folk singer, a career proofreader, a compulsive marijuana smoker, and a less-than-extraordinary weekend dad. He's also the most negative man alive. Floundering in all aspects of his life, Ben's only comfort comes from regular chess games and friendly debates on game theory with his Senegalese roommate Ibou (Michael Kenneth Williams). When Ibou is suddenly struck ill, and an insensitive municipal employee exacerbates the emergency situation, Ben's pessimistic worldview seems unequivocally confirmed. His only recourse is to pour his energies into a frivolous lawsuit against the city for depraved indifference. But Ben soon finds that cynicism may be all a matter of perspective. WONDERFUL WORLD is directed by Josh Goldin and features Sanaa Lathan and Philip Baker Hall. Cast: Matthew Broderick, Sanaa Lathan, Michael Kenneth Williams, Philip Baker Hall, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jodelle Ferland. danceability-1, Amsterdam Holland

I am only writing a review because I cannot let stand the positive notices here. Someone else will come along and be floored that any 2 people could find this cliché fest anything but annoying. Unbelievable, dumb, trite, a hack. Pu-leeze, my wife & I sat through this because we could not believe how bad it was - but it just kept getting worse, right to the end! On the plus side the little girl who played the daughter was good. But nothing makes up for the pain of seeing Michael K. Williams - who was GREAT as Omar Little in The Wire - in this dreck- fest. OK, don't believe me - rent this film, watch it - but don't say you weren't warned!

If you've seen a recent Bill Murray movie (Broken Flowers, etc) maybe you know what I'm talking about. Movies like this carry a certain vibe that's hard to explain... they feel cold, lonely, witty but sad and slightly nostalgic. I suppose it's because there's a lot of silence, not a lot of emotion (despite emotional circumstances), and the scenes are bright but not colourful. If you've ever been in a hospital waiting room, that's the feeling. "Wonderful World" is one of those films about a-day-in-the-life-of-a-schmuck, which are generally fun to watch (the best being "Buffalo 66"... if you haven't seen it GO SEE IT NOW). But I was left a little unfulfilled by WW. I think it's because it portrays the world as a really nasty, unjust place. Sure, that's whole the point of a-day-in-the-life-of-a-schmuck movies, but in this case it was just torturous. I also thought Matthew Broderick was slightly miscast. Through no fault of his own, he has too much of a youthful, innocent look to come across as a bitter cynic, which is what this film demanded. Still, his acting was excellent (absolutely brilliant in some scenes), and if you like Broderick it'll be fun to see him in this very uncharacteristic role. If you like slow & heavy comedy-dramas like "The Weather Man" or "Magnolia" or possibly "The Majestic" (though these films are not really comedies), you might like "Wonderful World".

I wasn't sure what to expect but I loved this thoughtful drama. The cast is terrific, especially Matthew Broderick and Sanaa Lathan. Who knew Michael K. Williams (THE WIRE) could play a guy with such heart. I cared about every relationship in this film. It's not just a love story between Ben (Matthew Broderick) and Khadi (Sanaa Lathan). It's a story about how all the imperfect but human relationships in Ben's life (his daughter, his roommate) force him out of his protective, cynical shell. I won't spoil anything but I got definitely got teary eyed in parts. It's a subtle and moving film but thankfully there's some humor in it as well. It's a little gem.

This movie was pretty bad. Number one, the "Africans" they found were African Americans and their accents were so damned dodgy that I don't know where they came from but it sure wasn't from Senegal. Secondly, the vision of the director was that of precolonial Africa. This family is from Dakar. They aren't from a remote village. Senegal has strong ties with France. You can get Nikes in Senegal. It is just cheaper in the US. This movie is not only flawed because it is a cliché of every vision that we Americans that never travel abroad have of the outside world. It could have been better. It could have been better translated. The story could have been more modern, less cliché, less Hollywood and let us think a bit on our own. Dear director. Not all of us are that stupid. We can think for ourselves.

I found this film to very well written and directed. The story is about the life we all lead and all its obstacles, which are superbly edited to show them to us, but not too grimly. It pats you on the back relatively quickly with elements that seem extraordinary but really are natural phenomenons and not to be taken seriously. It generously shows how seeing the world in such a way can impact harshly on you, but how you still learn from the experience. It grasps upon the warmth and clarity that can be gained from truly compatible relationships when looking at the world through these eyes, in this way, it presents a seek and you shall find attitude. The ending is... well when you find the end, there will be the beginning. One of my favorite films.

All too often post-movie talk consists of dissecting the acting/writing/special effects/fill in the blank – not here. Wonderful World was seamless and allowed me to fully enjoy the story. While Ben's rejection of the world is all too understandable, he suffers from the consequences of that choice. One of the most difficult was his attenuated relationship with his daughter who lives with his ex - it is heartbreaking in the way that any parent can understand and it was really great to see Ben allow the struggle with that loss in a way that he did not fully allow in other parts of his life. His summary dismissal from the law firm where he worked for over eight years was all too real in today's world. Ben's affair with Khadi was a great vehicle and I loved the way it was resolved. All in all, a story well told that I'd be pressed to start picking apart. I would easily recommend this movie.

This is a smart, satisfying film, and a triumph for Broderick. We haven't seen such a great anti-establishment hero since The Big Lebowski. All the characters are brilliantly written by Goldin, and, likewise, brilliantly portrayed by the actors. Matthew Broderick's performance as Ben Singer has an assured and measured nuance -- a really fine role. Michael Williams (Ibu) shows his impressive range with a wonderful character, so distinct from his iconic Omar on The Wire. Sanaa Lathan's Khadi is a strong memorable sensual beauty. Twelve year old Jodelle Ferland as Sandra, Ben's daughter, is a revelation and certainly a comer. Wonderful World will make you laugh and it will make you cry. You want to go see this flick.