First Take: Wonder- choosing kind is always the best thing

SYNOPSIS: Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.

When it comes to films, emotion seems to be the one thing
many directors seem to favour in their work, and after seeing Wonder, even the
youngest members of the audience can see why it’s a huge factor in to what us
critics do- as this could be one of the most emotional pieces of this year’s
awards run.

It’s directed really well by Stephen Chbosky, someone who is
arguably the right person to tackle a film like this following The Perks of
Being a Wallflower, and adapting the R.J Palacio book himself (alongside Jack
Thorne and Steve Conrad) means that the pacing and dialogue are pretty much
bang on the money aside from a few sequences. It’s shot brilliantly by Don
Burgess, and the score from Marcelo Zarvos is another Ronseal job as I like to
call it- it just does what it says on the tin.

It would be a crime to not talk about Jacob Tremblay’s work
in this film, much like his work in 2015’s Room, he manages to shine above what
is a very stacked cast, and he delivers work that is simply outstanding for
someone as young as him. Speaking of that cast, which includes Owen Wilson,
Julia Roberts and Daveed Diggs amongst others, the ensemble are able to make
this film just work so well with both young and old audiences. After seeing the
trailer for this one for several weeks on the freshly installed media wall, it’s
safe to say that this film certainly delivers on the hype- and with awards
season just around the corner, this could be a dark horse for the big ones.

THE VERDICT

With a very sensitively handled plot, another masterclass
from Jacob Tremblay, and a story that resonates with viewers well after they’ve
left the cinema, Wonder is this generation’s coming of age tale that recognises
the ideas of inclusion. Bring the tissues, because you’ll probably need them.

RATING: 4.5/5