Wonderful World Reviews

I really like this movie. I'm not the biggest Matthew Broderick fan, but I thought that he did an exceptional job in this nice little movie. I do wish that Jesse Ferguson had a bigger role, cuz I think he is a crack up. What more could you ask for, though? A movie with heart, that leaves you with a really good feeling.

CAST: Matthew Broderick, Jodelle Ferland, Michael Kenneth Williams, Sanaa Lathan, Jesse Tyler, Ally Walker, Philip Baker Hall

DIRECTED BY: Josh Goldin

SUMMARY; Dejected, divorced and jobless, Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick) is not inclined to see his glass as half-full. But when his roommate falls ill and Singer must host the man's Senegalese sister (Sanaa Lathan) in their apartment, his outlook begins to change.

MY THOUGHTS: "It wasn't a bad film, just a boring one. It takes way to much time getting where it needs to go. Ben Singer is a man who can't control anything and wants to and only see's the negative in everything. So it's a bit of a downer most of the film. Even his daughter becomes tired of him and his bummer attitude. The acting is there and maybe even the story. But it just didn't do it for me. I'm usually all for these kinds of offbeat movies, but this one was just to drab for my liking I guess."

Lots of holes everywhere. I see where this film could have been really good and uplifting, but it fails to really concentrate on much, scattering about and trying to cover too many angles. Good concept, poor execution, but in the end Matthew Broderick still delivers a somewhat endearing character and the end result is a film that is lacking, but not TOO disappointing.

It's not bad, but it's also pretty dead in the water when it comes to dramatic interest and momentum. One of those rare "nothing" movies; nothing happened between me and the screen. It simply existed.

Wonderful World stars Matthew Broderick as Ben, a one-time children's music star and now the most pessimistic person in the world. Ben holds a major grudge toward the "man" and his greed. Ben's character arc takes the viewer onto an entertaining ride. I rooted for Ben to get his act together throughout the entire film. His opposite and love interest was played by Sanaa Lathan as Khadi, Ibu's sister, Ben's best friend that is hospitalized. Ben learns much about how wonderful life is from the brother and sister from Senegal. The film is uplifting and pushes the idea that life is worth living and to remain strong through the difficult times. I really enjoyed the film and I definitely think it's worth the time investment to watch a great performance by Matthew Broderick.

I enjoyed this film. I don't think it reaches it's full potential but it is still entertaining and interesting. Great performances from it's cast and a fresh story!

A movie that starts slow, gets slower and then dies of boredom. The flow of the movie was very choppy and key points of the movie were never really fully developed. I watch this only because Matthew Broderick was the star -- I won't do this again. I can see why this is on demand "before it reaches theaters" because this thing will never make to theaters.

I wish Ben and Khadi were united at the end. Sanaa Lathan is so beautiful. I am going to watch her other movies as well.

You could tell Matthew Broderick was just phoning in his performance for a paycheck.

Matthew Broderick is the reason to watch this. It is sad, though, that I identify with his character so much. He had a revelation that changed his ways, maybe I will, too:)

I liked the movie. It definitly didn't have that string of nostalga I was hoping for but it was kind of good. Great performances throughout.

Matthew Broderick hasn't done a lot lately that I have appreciated. (See Finding Amanda), but even though this plot very nearly parallels a slightly, yes just slightly better movie, The visitor, it also is much better than some other overrated odd couple movies-Starting out in the evening and Venus, and is way underrated. Maybe because Matthew Broderick has been throwing up duds lately and no one paid attention to the good in this movie. I liked this as much as Greenberg. You hate Matthew as much as you hate Stiller in Greenberg, but you can't help but oddly root for them somehow. Shame on the haters!

'Wonderful World' doesn't bring anything new to the table, but it does so relatively effectively. Basically a tired story with a fresh pair of Nike's.

Couldn't really watch the whole movie, maybe I'm allergic to cliches.

I am a very big fan of Matthew Broderic and this just tells me why that i still am lol

"Wonderful World" is a small indie film whose protagonist, Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick), always has a pessimistic outlook on life. If he could have a permanent frown on his face, he probably would have one. He has been working at the same job for over eight years and loathes everyday he is there. He doesn't feel the need to escape that job because he believes that any job directly benefits "The Man," it is just a matter of the way the function is presented. Essentially, he is the kind of person who would sue a tow-truck driver for the crime of depraved indifference.

It is kind of odd that he ended up this way, because he used to be one of the largest children's musicians of the time. He actually used to play for several kids at the local civic center during one point. As of late, his career has been diminishing more and more by the day. Every once in a while, he'll jam with some musicians at a nearby music store, but what's the point of a good talent when nobody around you cares?

Singer also happens to be a divorced father. On weekends, he is able to spend time with his tomboyish daughter (Jodelle Ferland) who has a fascination with hockey. Her mother and Singer's former wife Eliza (Ally Walker) continues to point the finger at him for all the problems with the child's development. She becomes so concerned at one point that she begins to lie that she is already at a friend's house or things of that nature.

One day, Ben's Senegalese roommate Ibou (Michael K. Williams) goes into a diabetic coma and is rushed to the hospital. Treatment is said to take place for an extended period of time. In that amount of time, Ibou's sister Khadi (Sanaa Lathan) flies straight to her brother's aid. For the time being, Khadi occupies the section of the apartment that Ibou once resided. At first slightly alienated by Khadi's customs, Ben falls into a relationship with her. This incident begins to shine a tiny little beacon of hope into Singer's discouraging perspective.

Unfortunately, "Wonderful World" is not quite as "half-way-decent" as it sounds as I am describing it. One major complaint I had related to the believability of the relationship. Rather than allowing the romance between Ben and Khadi to naturally evolve, the way it is presented really seems forced and awkward. There isn't really any reason behind why this happens in the movie; it just kind of insincerely happens. It does not feel convincing enough to have any concrete humanity.

While Matthew Broderick may look and even act the part of an aging misanthrope in the film, his character is the only one who is developed to a certain degree. The rest appear either as unnecessary or typecast. The ex-wife is overbearing. The new husband is a tool. Ben Singer's daughter in the movie seems somewhat interesting, but she is hardly given enough time on screen to progress or hold the viewer's interest.

The film's worst problem is that it does not set any personal aspirations for itself. The protagonist himself starts off as not too likable and by the end has hardly redeemed himself at all. He doesn't strive to change anything throughout the film's duration. The movie doesn't have credible ambition and the overall product is very bland and mediocre. The filmmakers purely don't care enough about the characters, the script or the plot, which consequently makes the audience not care about those things, either.

Unfortunately, "Wonderful World" does not live up to its wonderful title. It is more accurately a 'miserable mess' or a 'forgettable film.' The plotline is haphazardly executed and aimlessly perpetuates, the characters are sub-par, and there isn't really much to say about the directional or artistic craft of the film. Possibly with some stronger effort, this kind of inadequacy could have been avoided. Possibly.

2/4

The first thing I always think of when I hear of Matthew Broderick is Ferris. He played such an iconic role in Ferris Bueller's Day Off that I feel ruined for any future film he does. I don't feel he's ever really lived up to the potential that the 1980's film created for him.

In his most recent film, Wonderful World, Broderick plays Ben, a down on his luck single dad who is miserable. He's depressed that he's working at a crappy job and his own daughter doesn't want to spend time with him. He shares a small apartment with Ibu (Michael Kenneth Williams), a friend who is very much the opposite of him. He sees the lighter things in life and is optimistic that life is always good.

After Ibu falls ill and ends up in the hospital, his sister Khadi (Sanaa Lathan) comes to down to be by his side. She stays with Ben in the small, cramped apartment and she helps show Ben a different side of life. Being the cynic that he is, Ben destroys his new relationship just as it's beginning with Khadi and she leaves town.

Alone again and more lost than ever, a tragedy occurs and Ben decides to right his wrongs. He goes to visit Khadi and he is awakened to something that Ibu told him long ago. Upon his return, he attempts to fix his relationship with his daughter and begin anew.

I really liked Broderick in this role. I felt he looked much better than some of his more recent projects. He has had some modest hits over the years with Election and Broadway's The Producers, but I'd love to see him try more mainstream work. Broderick had such personality as Ferris and that's what I miss from so many of his current performances.

I didn't really feel the chemistry between Broderick and Lathan. I actually thought the pairing was quite strange. It made sense storywise, but I just didn't believe the connection between the two. Jesse Tyler Ferguson, of Modern Family fame, was a nice surprise to see in this small film. I didn't love his character, but it's always nice to see actors you find appealing in other roles.

This indie is a pleasant film experience. The story lags a bit at times, but the message of positivity and second chances is quite appealing. I'd recommend it if you are a fan of indie, character driven films.

1 Disc Widescreen Edition (2009)

"Wonderful World" was written and directed by Joshua Goldin, his first directing project. It follows Ben Singer played by Matthew Broderick who is a really big pessimist. Ben had a successful career as a children's folk music singer, but after no one bought his acoustic album, he became jaded and withdrew from the world and spends his days in a boring, safe desk job proofreading papers. His best friend and roommate, Ibu (Michael Kenneth Williams) goes into a diabetic coma and Ben's world changes when Ibu's sister, Khadi (Sanaa Lathan) comes to stay with him while her brother is ill.

Oh, Ferris, you used to be so cute. Why were you allowed to age? Actually, he looked old at the Oscars but for this, he must have dyed his hair because he looks like an older Ferris with facial hair. How is he still this cute and why does he hang out with Sarah Jessica Parker????

Ok, moving on to more professional matters.

The movie feels very obvious in the opening sequences, yes, he's so pessimistic, no one invites him to parties because he's a Debbie Downer. He even says at one point that the two worst inventions were the TV remote and positive thinking. The movie really improves after more challenges are put into Ben's life through the absence of his friend, the introduction of a beautiful woman from Dakar, the diminishing relationship with his daughter, Sandra (Jodelle Ferland), and the loss of his job, and his attempt to sue the city for depraved indifference. Oh and not to mention, hallucinations of "The Man" (Philip Baker Hall) as an obstacle for him to mouth off to when he smokes weed. The simple life of sitting around playing chess is put on hold.

I had a hard time seeing Matthew Broderick who is excellent at oozing a positive attitude do such an about face here. It definitely plays more funny-grouchy than dark and I think that was the director's intentional choice. Everything he does still has a certain charisma, even when he's shutting others out.

Young Jodelle Ferland as his daughter was a great choice. When I looked her up on IMDB, I had to gasp because I knew I recognized her from something and it was "Kingdom Hospital", the Stephen King mini-series where she played the creepy little girl ghost! In this film, her character has a lot of self-doubts and she is shy and has trouble really communicating with her father even though she desperately wants to. Their estranged relationship begins to repair after interacting with Khadi and watching her gradual coming out of her shell was very sweet.

Sanaa Lathan as Khadi was a breath of fresh air. She really delved deep into the culture and came out looking and sounding so authentic. I didn't realize until the DVD extras that she was using an accent, it sounded amazingly good. The way she communicated and the way she moved really grab your attention and hold it in a good way, she almost glows as Ben begins to fall in love with her.

Ally Walker plays Ben's ex-wife, Eliza. I just recently saw her in "Toe to Toe" so another appearance so quick after so long not seeing her work was unexpected. Her role in "Toe to Toe" was so depressingly indifferent toward her daughter to an almost unrealistic level, but here she plays the opposite as a mother who is more overprotective of her daughter and before even asking her about her day, she assumes Ben has said something destructive to her again and shuts him out. On the flip side though, she has a great scene where she shows some vulnerability and reveals that while she isn't 100% happy with her new life, she prefers it to being dragged down on a daily basis.

I wish there had been more music in this movie! Broderick plays a little guitar in a scene, we hear a quick sample of his CD, and we don't hear him sing till the finale. It's just such soothing melodic acoustic guitar and I am tempted to try and find a soundtrack somewhere. My favorite quote in the film was "It's such a shame to be so talented at something no one cares about." When Ben performs his children's folk music finally, the kids are uncharacteristically ecstatic. Looking at that group of kids, I really don't believe they would have been impressed by something so nice and pleasant with today's short attention spans. If he had been playing to a crowd in the 60s maybe, but today's kids would rather play outside or video games unless it's an ice show or Disney rock concert in front of them. That deviation from reality aside, it was still nice to see the character Ben get back to his roots eventually.

Everything in this movie is a matter of perspective and some people might find that boring but I felt it all added up to a very pleasant movie. As he warms up to people and the idea of the world being a better place than he's seen it as of late, you too will be warmed watching it. I loved the exploration of another culture and the comparisons to America and making Ben enjoy the freedoms he has instead of criticizing his ex-wife for living in a big house with a big shot. I felt like the parting message here was a quote from a different movie, "Death to Smoochy", "You can't change the world, but you can make a dent." By changing his own corner, Ben finds a way to bring happiness to people around him again instead of misery.

DVD Extras:

There are three featurettes, "As Soon as Fish Fall Out of the Sky: Character and Story of Wonderful World", Working with the Director and with Matthew Broderick, and a Behind the scenes montage. All three are very short, probably two to three minutes a piece and are pieced together from interviews done with individual cast members. While more is explored about the characters in the first one, the director and actor one is just people heaping praise on them, and the montage is just shots of directing and camerawork put to music. A fourth featurette: "HDNet: A Look at Wonderful World" feels like one of those behind the scenes previews they play at my local movie theater and doesn't cover any new ground.

Pleasant watch for a lazy Sunday Afternoon.

Matthew Broderick carries this light and cliche story about a former children's singer. While I did enjoy it moderately, I'd rather watch Sideways. The writing just isn't up to par.