CFF60 review - WILDLIKE by Frank Hall Green

Two broken and lonely individuals meet and form an unlikely bond as they cross the Alaskan woods. WILDLIKE, the directorial feature debut by FRANK HALL GREEN, screened at the 60th CORK FILM FESTIVAL.

A human tale of two random strangers bonding, but also a homage to the healing beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. These are the two key elements of WILDLIKE, the FRANK HALL GREEN feature debut, a credible melodrama about two broken souls who meet quite by chance, and thei encounters rescues them from sadness and loneliness. 

This is the story of Mackenzie (ELLA PURNELL) who is sent off to her uncle in Alaska as her in-recovery mother decides to temporarily relinquish custody of her. Her uncle, however, seems timid and kind at first, but soon enough, we are revealed the true nature of his kidness conceals other motives, after he sexually abuses her and then emotionally blackmails her to ensure her silence. She runs away, and randomly lands inside the motel room of Renee (BRUCE GREENWOOD), a fifty something year old widower who decides to recover from his wife's recent death by setting off to the woods as they used to do when they were young lovers. Both seem to fill a void in each other's life, a void caused by their deep hurt and loneliness. But their meeting makes the development of a bond look quite implausible.

FRANK HALL GREEN's screenplay is mature enough to take on the challenges posed by its set up. Despite this meaning that in order of being as credible and legitimate as possible, it sometimes seems to opt for the safe route to carry its story forward, it admirably never pitfalls into cliche, or even come across as clumsy, despite the many risks it had of doing either or both of those things. 

What is absolutely admirable is the quietness with which the story progresses. The carefully dosed dialogue and even the narrative itself, which seems minimalistic, allows for a great character development but also a good reveal of many of the things that make the two central characters so vulnerable. Thus, as their surrogare father and daughter relationship develops, their quietness also leaves some type of emotional mystery that makes it all the more gripping. 

In this sense, the two leading actors themselves are great, and GREENWOOD's solemn aura is particularly impressive, sometimes recalling the warmest of CLINT EASTWOOD's dramatic turns, as the apparently distant man who is surprisingly caring by nature. 

The quietness of WILDLIKE is also inspired by and conveys the Alaskan environment in which the film is set. The Alaskan landscape sometimes also seems like an extension of the loneliness of the two leading characters. It is never glorified as simply beautiful, and indeed sometimes feels quite nameless. But in the end, it is also its unique charge and appeal that helps the two characters develop - and ultimately it too is hailed and celebrated.