Wonderful World (2009)

Great Film overall

Expected more

Boring

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick) is a bitter cynic who is stuck in a dead-end job and always railing against his imaginary The Man (Philip Baker Hall). He's divorced from Eliza (Ally Walker) and his daughter Sandra (Jodelle Ferland) is struggling in all the negativity. His only friend and Senegalese roommate Ibou (Michael K. Williams) falls into a diabetic coma. His car gets towed after a complaint by an uncaring neighbor. Ibou's sister Khadi (Sanaa Lathan) arrives from Senegal. Ben's workmate Cyril (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) finds out that he used to be a successful kid entertainer and tries to befriend him.Despite Ben's relentless cynicism, I still kind of like him. Matthew Broderick has that kind of world weariness from his performance in Election. This is a black comedy but I don't necessarily find it funny. It's actually sincere in its misanthropic vision. I like his relationship with his daughter. There are holes in his life story. The character was once a successful man. There must be a wealth of material to dig into from that situation. Also I think his relationship with Khadi could be resolved better.Bottom Line, this is an interesting cynic's lament but it could have been funnier.

'WONDERFUL World' comes in a long line of movies about the rejuvenating powers of black people. In fact, it's views of race are similar to France's The Intouchables, the winner of the Best Foreign Film at the Oscars this year, and many, many more flicks of this nature.Another beef I have with the movie is its date of release. It's reaching Malaysian shores after three years, and disguised as an 'international movie' to give it an aura of respectability.In 'Wonderful World', writer-director Joshua Goldin puts Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick) at the lowest possible moment in his life and then drags him out the pit with the help of Ibu (Michael K. Williams) and his sister Khadi (Sanaa Lathan). Ben is shown taking an elevator going down, metaphorically saying that his life is going downhill.Ben used to harbour hopes of making it big as a children's musician, but a record company let him down and he's now a proofreader in a law firm. His pessimistic view of life does not make him popular among his colleagues, who shun him and don't call him to after-office events.His ex-wife Eliza (Ally Walker) married a wealthy guy. When asked if she's happy with her good life now, she says that she didn't enjoy seeing life through his eyes, but she's now happy with what she sees. His daughter, Sandra (Jodelle Ferland), 11, is bored with him and even avoids him.His only decent contact with the world is his Senegalese roommate Ibu, who beats him at chess and offers deep thoughts of the world. Viewers get a whiff of what's to come.One thing leads to another and the diabetic Ibu is hospitalised when he falls into a coma. His sister comes from Senegal to take care of him. She also warms Ben's toes in bed at night.Ben suddenly finds a higher purpose in life. Khadi lights candles to encourage spirits to look over her sick brother, she cooks down-to-earth food and even teaches Ben's daughter to dance with without a care in the world.If Ben suddenly begins to believe in life, viewers will find it hard to believe that Khadi could fall for Ben. Perhaps there's something to be said about opposites attract, as the vivacious Khadi is poles apart from the miserable Ben.Broderick's hangdog face and expression are competent, but the movie saddles him with boring dialogue.www.jeffleemovies.com

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.