Mark Goes To The Movies

Wah Wah (dir. Richard Grant) Although it's a totally different kind of film, this one reminded me of The Squid and the Whale as an emotionally grueling look at the effects of divorce on kids. This one throws in alcoholism for good measure, but it's wider in scope than Noah Baumbach's film, more concerned with establishing a community (in this case, British expatriates) in a particular place (the rugged hills and near-deserts of Swaziland) and showing how the parents' shenanigans (and their efficts on children) affect their roles in that community. There's fabulous acting from Gabriel Byrne, Emily Watson, Miranda Richardson, Julie Roberts, and (as the sensitive and righteously pissed-off son) Nicholas Boult and a lot of beautiful photography of the land. It's a little long and doesn't completely escape sentimentality, but it has a lot of heart and a lot of emotional ups and downs. Mark's review: ****