“Wander” (now available at select theaters and on VOD) made me feel like I should’ve worn a tin foil hat while watching it. It’s an Alex Jones fever dream of a movie that throws everything and the kitchen sink at its audience save for gay frogs.
Aaron Eckhart stars as Arthur Bretnick, a private detective (he has a badge stating as much – how official!) who lost his daughter in a car accident that left his wife (Nicole Steinwedell) catatonic and him disturbed. Arthur lives in a trailer out in the New Mexico desert and busies himself between cases by recording “The Thought Junction” conspiracy podcast alongside Jimmy Cleats (Tommy Lee Jones). (Jimmy Cleats is unequivocally an awesome TLJ character name!)
A woman named Elena (Deborah Chavez) calls into the show claiming that her daughter Zoe (Elizabeth Selby) was murdered just outside the fictitious town of Wander, N.M. whereas the authorities have deemed the death car accident-related. Arthur proceeds to Wander to investigate where he’s welcomed unceremoniously by Sheriff Luis Santiago (Raymond Cruz, Tuco from “Breaking Bad”). During Arthur’s investigation he uncovers a government plot touching upon immigration and insidious medical experiments. Or does he? Arthur’s psyche may be so damaged from past trauma that he’s projecting the entire cabal.
I didn’t much care for “Wander,” but the picture has its positive attributes. Eckhart is an actor that I’ve often admired – he was great in “In the Company of Men,” “Any Given Sunday,” “Erin Brockovich,” “Thank You for Smoking” and “The Dark Knight” – and he’s really good here. He plays crazy well and is the primary reason audiences should seek the film out if they’re so inclined. Jones’ character doesn’t only sport a rad moniker he also dons a series of Hawaiian shirts looking like an aged Boogaloo Boi – love the look; hate the movement. Jones isn’t playing a character so much as he is a series of sartorial choices. Speaking of costuming substituting for acting (or writing for that matter) – Katheryn Winnick (best known for the History Channel’s “Vikings”) is on hand rocking sunnies and a black cowboy hat. Gee, I wonder if her intentions are altruistic? Another blonde appearing is Heather Graham as Arthur’s friend and attorney, Shelley Luscomb. Graham’s character is given one note to play (concern for Arthur’s well-being), but she plays it well and looks lovely doing so. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen Graham in anything (probably a 2014 arc on Showtime’s “Californication”) so she was a welcome sight for sore eyes.
“Wander” is directed by April Mullen and written by Tim Doiron. I haven’t seen the partners’ previous collaborations “Dead Before Dawn 3D” (2012) or “88” (2015), but I respect what Mullen (who is Anishinaabe Algonquin) is attempting to do with her latest effort by shining a light on the displacement of indigenous peoples from stolen lands. Unfortunately, I feel this message is muted by the focus on Arthur’s instability. That said the stylistic flourishes accomplished by Mullen and her cinematographers Russ De Jong and Gavin Smith ably place viewers well within Arthur’s mania. Likewise, Doiron’s script does the same thing – I just feel as though there’s a red herring or twelve too many.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qrk-DCzYis[/embed]