Wendy (2020)
Benh Zeitlin blew audiences away in 2012 with his debut feature Beasts of the Southern Wild. It might have taken 8 years but finally Zeitlin is back with Wendy, a remake of the classic Peter Pan story this time focusing on the perspective of Wendy (Devin France). Where live-action remakes become less and less of an appealing idea each year (especially for Peter Pan, look no further than 2015), if there was one director who could impress with the concept it would be Benh Zeitlin. Zeitlin brought such a unique and inspired direction to Beasts of the Southern Wild that perfectly mixed the film's elements of magic, childhood wonder, & legitimate emotions. If anyone could bring a fresh take to the Peter Pan story it was Benh Zeitlin and he nearly gets there.
Very similar to Beasts of the Southern Wild, the best part of Wendy is the world it creates. Where this film's version of Neverland is much less flashy than most of the other versions of this film, Wendy has a down to earth childhood wonder than stands out and helps make the film feel unique compared to the other versions of this story. Plenty of this also comes from the cinematography by Sturla Brandth Grøvlen which is a nearly perfect mix of chaos and style. Wendy also has some clever updates and changes that help it never feel like it is just going through the motions trying to take the cheap path in being a remake. There also is a deeper message present that gave the film some solid depth and emotions. At its heart, Wendy revolves around the concept of accepting the process of growing up and what that really means especially in the eyes of children. Where the film is flawed at times with how it builds this narrative especially towards the end, there were plenty of moments where this cry of childhood wonder does connect and draw out deeper emotions.
The other really impressive aspect of the film would be the acting. For a cast filled with so many young and inexperienced actors, Zeitlin is once again able to skillfully play into the actor's natural skills creating a cast that overall impresses with plenty giving legitimately good performances. Where many will focus on Devin France who is undoubtedly impressive in the lead role as Wendy, it was actually Gavin Naquin who stole the show with his role as James. His performance is powerful and emotional really showing the range of the actor even at such a young age who easily could have a true breakout performance if given a better role in the future. Sadly for these actors and the world this film creates, Wendy struggles to create an overwhelmingly impressive and memorable experience partly due to just how messy the film is. The moments of substantial emotion are scattered in an extremely disjointed plot that could have been drastically cleaned up. Compared to the craft when it came to the structure in Beasts of the Southern Wild, Wendy feels like it is all over the place. It clearly has all the elements needed to be something special but fails to put the puzzle pieces together.
Wendy might be a step down from Benh Zeitlin's feature debut, but it is far from a failure of a film. Wendy carries some of the best visuals and stylistic choices of the year and has a deeper level of emotion to it. Wendy clearly has something to say and where it has its moments where that voice is heard, it is undoubtedly held back by a messy plot which gets increasingly worse as the film goes on. It still is worth a watch but sadly won't be making it in any top 10's of the year.
Wendy might be a step down from Benh Zeitlin's feature debut, but it is far from a failure of a film. Wendy carries some of the best visuals and stylistic choices of the year and has a deeper level of emotion to it. Wendy clearly has something to say and where it has its moments where that voice is heard, it is undoubtedly held back by a messy plot which gets increasingly worse as the film goes on. It still is worth a watch but sadly won't be making it in any top 10's of the year.