C
I read A Wrinkle in Time in high school. It was a decent young adult fantasy. The Disney film attempts to capture it’s air of wonder and dark fantasy in bringing it to the screen, but manages to produce something that’s just OK. Through most of the film, I found myself thinking that the director,
Ava DuVernay, was trying too hard.
The main character Meg is well played by Storm Reid. I found the actor chosen to play her younger brother, Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) a bit wooden. He was probably the most important casting choice other than Reid. The three angels are all miscast/misplayed. Reese “Elle” Witherspoon is overly gushy as Mrs. Whatsit, Mindy Kaling is annoying as Mrs. Who, and Oprah is solid as Mrs. Which, but not nearly dark and scary enough.
The film does a good job with the It (David Oyelowo) and its world. It’s hard to say what doesn’t work. I think that it’s probably the tone. There is too much focus on awe, and not enough on the confusion and fear that the main characters, Meg and her side kick Calvin (Levi Miller) should be feeling as they are torn from their world and taken across time and space.
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