Wonderstruck
⋆⋆½ out of four stars
Rated: PG for images of children in peril.
Theater: Uptown
"Wonderstruck" is so meticulously constructed it feels like magic. And yet, the movie doesn't entirely cast a spell.
Parallel stories follow two deaf runaways 50 years apart who sneak off to New York City. One story, in black and white, is a silent film, while the other channels the bright colors and funky music of the 1970s. At one point, both children end up at the Natural History Museum, where they each place a tiny hopeful hand on the same ancient meteorite.
The adaptation of the young adult novel by Brian Selznick, who also wrote the screenplay, dives into big themes. Ben (Oakes Fegley), in 1977, and Rose (Millicent Simmonds), in 1927, feel lonely and misunderstood, and both are mourning recent personal losses.
Ben, who just lost his mother in a car wreck, is searching for the father he never knew. After finding a bookmark with a personal message among his mom's belongings, he's convinced it will lead to his dad. Rose, whose strict father (James Urbaniak) makes her life a nightmare, sets out in search of her favorite movie star, Lillian Mayhew (Julianne Moore).
The approach is inventive. And director Todd Haynes clearly cares about details. We follow his characters as they wander around streets, bus depots and museum halls. Although we get to soak up the atmosphere, this languorous approach sometimes produces a plodding feel. Other times, the pace gets too speedy, particularly at the start, when the film jumps between Ben and Rose so frequently, it's hard to become emotionally invested in either one. For all the story's cosmic echoes across the ages, the timing just feels off.
