The Wonders (film)

Last updated

The Wonders
The Wonders (film).jpg
Film poster
Directed by Alice Rohrwacher
Written byAlice Rohrwacher
Produced byCarlo Cresto-Dina
Starring Alba Rohrwacher
André Hennicke
Monica Bellucci
Cinematography Hélène Louvart
Edited by Marco Spoletini
Music byPiero Crucitti
Release dates
  • 18 May 2014 (2014-05-18)(Cannes)
  • 22 May 2014 (2014-05-22)(Italy)
Running time
110 minutes
CountriesItaly
Switzerland
Germany [1]
LanguagesItalian
French
German

The Wonders (Italian : Le meraviglie) [2] [3] is a 2014 internationally co-produced drama film directed by Alice Rohrwacher. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival; [4] [5] [6] it won the Grand Prix. [7] [8]

Contents

Plot

Gelsomina and her three younger sisters live with their parents on an Italian farm. As the eldest, she takes on a heavier burden, taking care of her sisters and assisting her father, Wolfgang, with beekeeping. One evening, as the family is playing on the beach, they are told to be quieter and discover that a TV show is being filmed nearby. They watch and, as they are about to leave, the star, Milly, calls them over and gives Gelsomina a hair clip.

Watching the program on TV, Gelsomina learns that it is launching a competition called Countryside Wonders, in which seven farmers will compete to have their products featured. While her father is strongly against participating, her mother warms to the idea, even though the quality of their honey is not great.

Meanwhile, Wolfgang hires a juvenile delinquent named Martin to help with honey production. Martin never talks. Though Wolfgang tries to help Martin, he discovers that he is ineffectual.

Unbeknownst to her father, Gelsomina applies on behalf of her family. She forgets about it after her father's old friend comes to stay. Later, left alone by their parents, while switching out the honeycombs to put in the processor, she accidentally injures one of her sisters, Marinella. At the hospital, while Marinella is being stitched up, Gelsomina realizes that Martin forgot to change the bucket which collects the processed honey and, on returning home, they find honey spilled over the floor. At the same time, they are visited by a man from the competition to inspect their production room. The children clean the work area and they are accepted. However, Wolfgang is infuriated by the news.

Nevertheless, the family competes on the show, where they are dressed in ridiculous garb and must plead their case to the judges. On TV, Wolfgang freezes and cannot explain what makes his honey so special. However, Gelsomina steps up and, with Martin, performs a trick in which he whistles and bees crawl out of her mouth onto her face. The family loses the competition, however. Martin runs away and Gelsomina follows him but cannot find him. On the last boat ride back from the island, she finds herself alone with Milly, who takes off her wig and gives Gelsomina a hairpin. Gelsomina swims back to the island and finds Martin, but returns to her family without him.

Cast

Production

Director Alice Rohrwacher based the movie on her memories of her childhood working for her parents, who were beekeepers. [9] Rohrwacher stated that some parts of the film were filmed illegally, particularly the parts with the bees which they were not supposed to film for insurance purposes and which she filmed anyway on a national holiday when no one was around to stop her. [10]

Reception

The Wonders premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival to positive reviews. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 63 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Wonders offers a charming coming-of-age tale that doubles as a quietly effective tribute to a vanishing way of life." [11] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 76 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally positive reviews". [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>New York Stories</i> 1989 film by Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese

New York Stories is a 1989 American anthology film consisting of three segments with the central theme being New York City.

<i>Apocalypse Now Redux</i> 2001 extended version of Apocalypse Now directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Apocalypse Now Redux is a 2001 American extended version of Francis Ford Coppola's epic 1979 war film Apocalypse Now. Coppola, along with editor/longtime collaborator Walter Murch, added 49 minutes of material that had been removed from the initial theatrical release. It is a significant re-edit of the original version.

<i>Marie Antoinette</i> (2006 film) 2006 film directed by Sofia Coppola

Marie Antoinette is a 2006 historical drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola. It is based on the life of Queen Marie Antoinette, played by Kirsten Dunst, in the years leading up to the French Revolution. It won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. It was released in the United States on October 20, 2006, by Sony Pictures Releasing.

<i>The Virgin Suicides</i> (film) 1999 film directed by Sofia Coppola

The Virgin Suicides is a 1999 American psychological drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola, co-produced by Francis Ford Coppola, and starring James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, AJ Cook and Josh Hartnett. The film also features Scott Glenn, Michael Paré, and Danny DeVito in minor roles, with voice narration by Giovanni Ribisi.

<i>Samson and Delilah</i> (2009 film) 2009 Australian film

Samson and Delilah is a 2009 Australian drama film directed by Warwick Thornton and starring Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson, both young first time actors. It was filmed in and around Alice Springs. Described as a "survival love story" by the director, the film depicts two indigenous Australian 14-year-olds living in a remote Aboriginal community who steal a car and escape their difficult lives by going to Alice Springs. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, winning the Caméra d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. The film also won the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Film in 2009. Screen Australia announced on 29 September 2009 that the film had been nominated as Australia's official entry in the Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film category.

Alba Rohrwacher Italian actress

Alba Caterina Rohrwacher is an Italian actress.

<i>Reality</i> (2012 film) 2012 Italian drama film

Reality is a 2012 Italian drama film directed by Matteo Garrone and stars Aniello Arena, Loredana Simioli, and Claudia Gerini. The narrative is set in the world of reality television, and follows a Neapolitan fishmonger who participates in Grande Fratello, the Italian version of Big Brother. The film won the Grand Prix award at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>Timbuktu</i> (2014 film) 2014 film

Timbuktu is a 2014 Mauritanian-French drama film directed and co-written by Abderrahmane Sissako. The film centres on the brief occupation of Timbuktu, Mali by Ansar Dine, and is partially influenced by the 2012 public stoning of an unmarried couple in Aguelhok. Shot in Oualata, Mauritania, Timbuktu was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and the François Chalais Prize. It was chosen as Mauritania's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and went on to be nominated for the prize at the 87th Academy Awards; it was also nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language at the 69th British Academy Film Awards. Timbuktu was named Best Film at the 11th Africa Movie Academy Awards, where it was nominated for ten further awards. In 2017, The New York Times ranked it the twelfth best film of the twenty-first century so far.

Alice Rohrwacher Italian film director

Alice Rohrwacher is an Italian film director, editor and screenwriter.

<i>Chronic</i> (film) 2015 film

Chronic is a 2015 drama film written and directed by Michel Franco. The film stars Tim Roth, alongside a supporting cast featuring Bitsie Tulloch, David Dastmalchian, Tate Ellington, Claire van der Boom, Maribeth Monroe, Robin Bartlett, and Sarah Sutherland.

<i>In Bed with Victoria</i> 2016 film

In Bed with Victoria is a 2016 French romantic comedy-drama film directed by Justine Triet. It was screened in the International Critics' Week section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Efira received a Magritte Award for Best Actress at the 7th Magritte Awards for her role in the film.

<i>Claires Camera</i> 2017 film

Claire's Camera is a 2017 drama film written, produced, and directed by Hong Sang-soo and starring Isabelle Huppert and Kim Min-hee. It was shown in the Special Screening section of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and released in France on 7 March 2018.

<i>Redoubtable</i> (film) 2017 film

Redoubtable is a 2017 French biographical comedy-drama film written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius about the affair of filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard with Anne Wiazemsky in the late 1960s, during the making of his film La Chinoise (1967). It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>Radiance</i> (2017 film) 2017 film

Radiance is a 2017 Japanese romance drama film directed by Naomi Kawase. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes it won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.

<i>LAmant double</i> 2017 film by François Ozon

L'Amant double is a 2017 erotic thriller drama film written and directed by François Ozon, based on the 1987 novel Lives of the Twins by Joyce Carol Oates. It stars Marine Vacth as a young woman named Chloé who discovers that her lover is concealing a part of his identity.

<i>Faces Places</i> (film) 2017 film

Faces Places is a 2017 French documentary film directed by Agnès Varda and JR. It was screened out of competition at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival where it won the L'Œil d'or award. The film follows Varda and JR traveling around rural France, creating portraits of the people they come across. It was released on 28 June 2017 in France and 6 October 2017 in the United States. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 90th Academy Awards. The film was Varda's second-to-last work, preceding Varda by Agnès in 2019.

<i>Happy as Lazzaro</i> 2018 Italian drama film

Happy as Lazzaro is a 2018 Italian drama film written and directed by Alice Rohrwacher. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes, Rohrwacher won the award for Best Screenplay.

<i>The Souvenir Part II</i> 2021 film

The Souvenir Part II is a 2021 drama film, written and directed by Joanna Hogg. It is a sequel to The Souvenir (2019). It stars Honor Swinton Byrne, Jaygann Ayeh, Richard Ayoade, James Spencer Ashworth, Harris Dickinson, Charlie Heaton, Joe Alwyn, and Tilda Swinton.

<i>Padrenostro</i> 2020 film

Padrenostro is a 2020 Italian coming-of-age drama film co-written and directed by Claudio Noce. It was selected to be shown in the main competition section of the 77th Venice International Film Festival. At Venice, Pierfrancesco Favino won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor.

Murina is an 2021 internationally co-produced drama film, directed by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, in her directorial debut, from a screenplay by Alamat Kusijanović and Frank Graziano. It stars Gracija Filipović, Leon Lučev, Danica Curcic and Cliff Curtis. Martin Scorsese serves as an executive producer under his Sikelia Productions banner.

References

  1. ↑ "The Wonders". Cannes. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  2. ↑ "Alice Rohrwacher, che gioia andare a Cannes". ansa.it. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  3. ↑ "Le meraviglie: foto e poster del film di Alice Rohrwacher in concorso a Cannes 2014". cineblog. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "2014 Official Selection". Cannes. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  5. ↑ "Cannes, "Le meraviglie" di Alice Rohrwacher in concorso". corriere.it. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  6. ↑ ""Le meraviglie": il film di Alice Rohrwacher in concorso a Cannes 2014, trama e cast". excite.it. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  7. ↑ "Awards 2014 : Competition". Cannes. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "Cannes: Palma d'Oro a Winter Sleep, Grand Prix a Le meraviglie". ansa.it. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  9. ↑ Coppola, Sofia. "Sofia Coppola Interviews the Sisters Behind Her Favorite New Film" . Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  10. ↑ Lucca, Violet. "Interview: Alice Rohrwacher" . Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  11. ↑ "The Wonders (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  12. ↑ "The Wonders Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.