A Wrinkle in Time directed by Ava Duvernay (Selma, 13th) is a phenomenal adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s book of the same name. Together Duvernay’s cast and crew with her direction make this film a great viewing for people of all ages.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
When Meg Murry's (Storm Reid) father father abruptly disappears after he discovers a new planet using a concept called "tesseract" to travel there, she is left lost and without hope. With help enlisted by her little brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), meg and their classmate Calvin (levi Miller) along with three celestial guides, Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kailing), go on an adventure to search for her father traveling to world's beyond their imagination by wrinkling time.
The cast of the film bring their characters to life exquisitely. Storm Reid gives a vey realistic and relatable performance as a lost and misunderstood youth whose faith in the world has been shaken after her father’s disappearance. Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kailing together deliver performances that make viewers of all ages chuckle as well as inspire those with there whimsical presence. Deric McCabe gives one of the best and most adorable child performance so far this year as Charles Wallace. His mixture of wittiness, wisdom and 50-year-old-trapped-in-a-5-year-old-body brain is enough to keep audiences intrigued with him
Visually the film is very aesthetically appealing. The visual effects are stunning and realistic, making the viewer feel as if they have literally been transported to another world and they're with meg and her friends while they are "tesseract" through time and space.
Although the film has many good areas, it also has some not so good flaws unfortunately that an’t be ignored.
The flow of the story can seem disjointed at times. Although viewers are able to grasp the basic understanding of the film and its plot, comfortable following the story isn’t as easy.There are certain points that seem rushed through and glossed over instead of further explanation that could be helpful for the audience. Contrary to that, there are also certain scenes that take up too much time in a space that could have been dedicated to other things.
Another point where the film falls flat is its choice of villain. There is no designated villain in the film necessarily but at one point the role of Villain falls on the shoulders of Charles Wallace and it is not executed well on screen.
Even with all its faults, Duvernay does a great job of creating a story that has deemed un-filmable in the past. Ultimately A Wrinkle in Time is a good adaptation that can be better in some areas but overall gives viewers a fun and enjoyable experience.
