Amazon Studios has released a newWonderstrucktrailer. Based onThe Invention of Hugo CabretauthorBrian Selznick’s critically acclaimed novel, the film traverses two different time periods and follows two young children—a boy in 1977 and a girl in 1927—who make curious discoveries that set them on paths to unfold their mysteries in dazzling symmetry.
I run hot and cold onTodd Haynes’ movies, but I’m intrigued by what he’s doing here, and while the film doesn’t seem to be making any traction in the awards race despite being received warmly at Cannes, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth seeing. I’m intrigued by the dual-timeline stories, and by Haynes making a family film. This is a charming trailer, and I’m eager to get a look at this movie.
In case you missed it, here’s an excerpt fromGregory Ellwood’s reviewof the film from Cannes:
Haynes smartly uses Selznick’s script as a roadmap for unique cinematic and unexpected flourishes even when it might not have dictated it. Early on we join Rose in a silent movie theater as she takes in one of her mother’s melodramas, a film that finds Moore channeling silent era heroines such asLillian Gish. When Ben arrives in Manhattan he explores a Port Authority Bus depot and the seedy underbelly of 42ndStreet diligently recreated thanks to the exemplary detail of Haynes, production designerMark Friedberg, cinematographerEd Lachmanand costume designerSandy Powell. Their efforts bring 1920’s Manhattan to life with the same remarkable flair. Every extra walking down a sidewalk, every street corner and every building feels like it was plucked from a ‘20’s newsreel or ‘70s news report, but with Haynes’ deft eye to make it seem like you’re looking out your own window into another time.
Check out the newWonderstrucktrailer below. The film opens October 20thand starsJulianne Moore, Oakes Fegley, Michelle Williams, Jaden MichaelandMillicent Simmonds.
Here’s the official synopsis forWonderstruck:
Based on Brian Selznick’s critically acclaimed novel Ben and Rose are children from two different eras who secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known, while Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his home and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out on quests to find what they are missing that unfold with mesmerizing symmetry.
