Not an easy watch.
Wilson is something of a curiosity the kind of which we don’t see as much of these days. Woody Harrelson plays the titular character, a lonely, neurotic and sometime uncomfortably honest middle-aged divorcee who some would describe as a misanthrope, but others might describe as an a-hole. He’s an awkward character that grates as much as he delights. Wilson reunites with his estranged wife, Pippi, played by Laura Dern, and gets a shot at happiness when he learns he has a teenage daughter, played by Isabella Amara, he has never met and sets out to connect with her.
Watching this there’s something strangely familiar and oddly comforting about Wilson in its tone and presentation that takes you back to the early 2000s and the likes of Ghost World and Art School Confidential but there’s a good reason for that. Like those films, Wilson is based on the satirical graphic novel of the same name by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes. Sideways director Alexander Payne, with Clowes writing the screenplay, originally optioned the book.
Although Payne retains a producer credit, it’s The Skeleton Twins helmer Craig Johnson who filmed the role of director. While Johnson delivers for the most part, especially when it comes to the jagged, jaded Wilson, it feels like the film’s heart isn’t beating as strong as it should, and it makes the balance of snark and Wilson's strive for salvation too uneven too often which is somewhat frustrating. That said, Harrelson is a delightful douche as Wilson, a man who is looking to fill holes in his life and desperate to create a brighter future for himself.
His journey of discovery is littered with bad choices, toxic relationships and horrendously executed social interactions that often create more hurdles for him than they remove. From the way he interacts with strangers to the false truths and misconceptions that have steered his catalog of square pegs in round holes, Wilson’s heart is in the right place and the film can be a sporadic hoot. Laura Dern is clearly having the time of her life as she tries to do her bit to stop him making even worse decisions and keep a lid on his dysfunctionality. Her performance, a mix of slapstick and kindhearted exasperation, is a joy and the film is the better for it. Dern is on something of a roll right now with a number of interesting and vital roles in projects on both the big and small screen that show her range and sheer skill as an actor, and this is a prime example of that.
Elsewhere, Judy Greer as Shelly, his former dog sitter who he becomes emotionally involved with, is great as are bit players such as Brett Gelman, as Wilson’s best-and-only friend Robert, Mary Lynn Rajskub as Robert’s wife Jodie and David Warshofsky as Wilson’s old school friend, Olsen. They all add high points and highlights that are likely to be the most memorable scenes audiences take away with them. The script is sharp, sincere and brilliantly observed which all help ensure that even though this is a live-action film, you totally get the sense that the graphic novel has been brought to life in a natural but almost ethereal way.
While Wilson doesn’t land as confidently or as competently as you might hope for, as often as you’d like, when it does it is a thorny delight. Wilson is a simple film with some deftly constructed comedic flourishes that stop it from being dry. Perhaps oddly, as a film that pivots around the titular man himself, it’s the women in his life and the people that he interacts with who are the stars and give it the balance, direction and purpose that it desperately needs.
The Verdict
Wilson isn’t an easy watch, it’s not a great movie but it’s a sum of many parts where the parts themselves are the reason to consider watching it. It’s probably about 10 years behind the curve but just about tips into throwback territory. Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern and Judy Greer are the lifeblood that give this twisted, satirical curio its curb appeal and why, if you watch it, you’ll see it through.
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