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The Wackness Movie Poster

CAST
BEN KINGSLEY
JOSH PECK
JANE ADAMS
TALIA BALSAM
FAMKE JANSSEN
METHOD MAN
MARY-KATE OLSEN
OLIVIA THIRLBY
DAVID WOHL
AARON YOO

WRITTEN BY
JONATHAN LEVINE

PRODUCED BY
KEITH CALDER
FELIPE MARINO  
JOE NEURAUTER

DIRECTED BY
JONATHAN LEVINE

GENRE
COMEDY
DRAMA
TEEN

RATED
AUSTRALIA:MA
UK:15
USA:R

RUNNING TIME
99 MIN


THE WACKNESS (2008)

A trip back to a time where the Notorious B.I.G., mix tapes, and 90210 reigned supreme is had in The Wackness, a coming of age story told through a haze of bong smoke and hip hop tunes. 

Set in New York City, 1994, the film focuses on recent high school graduate and drug dealer, Luke Shapiro. The part is perfectly portrayed by former child actor and native New Yorker Josh Peck, who invests the required laid back attitude without resorting to full blown stoner caricature.  

Suffering from depression (whether marijuana induced or not is never revealed), Shapiro exchanges drugs for therapy sessions with Dr. Squires, an ex-hippie going through his own bout of depression. Squires is brilliantly played by Ben Kingsley, who is near unrecognisable with his pitch perfect “Noo York” accent, tan, and convincing  hair peace.  For a clearer picture, imagine a doped up version of Robin Williams’ shrink from Good Will Hunting.

As the film progresses, both men find solace within each other. Theirs may be an unorthodox friendship, but it makes perfect sense, since -at their core- both are helpless romantics, who lead a lonely existence and dream of better days.

While Shapiro aspires for a better future, Squires yearns for the days before New York Mayor Rudy Guilliani’s crackdown on crime, when the world seemed more free, and the relationship with his now cold and distant wife (Famke Janssen) was full of love and passion.  

A consistent piece of advice which Squires gives to Shapiro is to get out of the house, get laid and enjoy his youth. Yet this inadvertently puts a dent in their relationship, when Shapiro falls in love with Squires’ step—daughter, Stephanie (the spunky Olivia Thirlby).    

A memorable sequence features Stephanie joining Shaprio, as he does his rounds serving the freaks of the Big Apple with their next high, (among them an irritating Mary Kate Olsen as a dreadlocked flower child/space cadet.)

It is here that writer/director Jonathan Levine makes his mark not only as strong writer, but also as a visually alluring filmmaker, blending sly visual effects touches with New York City’s urban landscape.

With this, his second feature film –the first being 2006 horror movie All the Boys Love Mandy Lane – Levine has established himself as a rising talent to be noted.  Hopefully, more Wackness calibre material will be forthcoming.

***1/2

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