| | | | | |  | Dec, 2008 |  | |
| | | | LOST TREASURE: WILDER NAPALM (1993) December, 20 2008 | | |
Ironic perhaps that a movie about brothers blessed/cursed with pyrokinesis (the ability to set things on fire by thought) bombed at the box office. Understandable only in that a romantic comedy about such brothers who fight over a woman is not an easy sell. But wow, what a fun, perceptive, magical and beautifully executed movie.
Directed by Glenn Gordon Caron of Moonlighting fame, and written by Vince Gilligan who was a major creative force behind The X-Files, Wilder Napalm could have been a thin joke in other hands, but instead is funnier for staying emotionally true to its characters. The cast completely gets the material: Dennis Quaid is the flamboyant brother, Arliss Howard the quiet one with the long fuse -- with little explication, we get their dynamic immediately, can imagine their history together and thus believe them as brothers. Debra Winger shows herself to be a great comedienne here as the girl caught in the crossfire. Shot in in poppy colors with a lot of red and orange to underline the fire element, Wilder has the bright look typical of comedies but none of the flatness that often accompanies it. Here’s a film where all departments; cinematography,production design, wardrobe and so on get the vibe and contribute seamlessly to the whole -- a sign of from-the-top vision and execution. | | | |
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