Wonderstruck

Both a children’s film for adults and a refreshingly grown-up film for children, Todd Haynes' imaginative adaptation of Brian Selznick’s acclaimed young adult novel Wonderstruck is a movie that will leave you just that.

Ben and Rose may be from very different worlds, but they have much in common. Both deaf, and both desperately unhappy, they each dream of a better life. In 1977, Ben’s is turned upside down following the tragic death of his mother. All alone in the world, he discovers a note which might lead to his absent father’s whereabouts, and sets off on a mission to New York to find him. Meanwhile, in 1927, introverted Rose is obsessed with silent movie star Lillian Mayhew. Fleeing her neglectful father, she too ventures to the Big Apple to track down the famed actress. Once in the city, both youngsters are drawn to the American Museum of Natural History, where their seemingly disparate paths will mysteriously intertwine.

Part children’s coming of age tale, part homage to silent cinema, Haynes deftly interweaves two stories and two very different styles to create a sweet, whimsical fable filled full of warmth and charm, casting a glittering spell that lingers until well after its last mystery has been unlocked.

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