A smart movie worthy of your Time
A Wrinkle in Time was published in 1962, after being rejected by 30 publishing houses. It went on to win awards and friends all over the world. As recently as 2012, it was voted the second-best children’s book of all time by American school journal readers, beaten only by Charlotte’s Web.
A Wrinkle in Time is a farreaching and fantastical thing, mixing family drama and oldfashioned adventure against a backdrop of Christian teaching, theoretical science, pure fantasy and inter-dimensional travel. This film version keeps the major themes and plot-points of the book mostly intact, although it does drop L’Engle’s references to God in favour of the more wishy-washy ‘‘the light’’.
Ava DuVernay ( Selma) might not be the most obvious director in the world to bring a huge and effects-heavy fantasy to the screen. But DuVernay is a wizard at establishing credible human relationships between disparate people, and that is where this Wrinkle In Time gets its real magic and wonder.
DuVernay and writer Jennifer Lee ( Frozen) set the story in the present day and are happy to strip away a bunch of ancillary characters to focus on the book’s central storyline.
Young Meg Murray ( 12 Years a Slave‘ s Storm Reid) still believes her scientist Dad (Chris Pine) is alive, even four years after he mysteriously vanished one dark and stormy night. Meg’s genius kid-brother Charles Wallace agrees, and somehow strikes up a friendship with three women – Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Which and Mrs Who – who might hold the key to finding him.
From that set up, DuVernay whips Wrinkle into a frenzy of fantastical landscapes, outlandish beasts and non-frightening villains.
We don’t ever doubt that things will turn out all right for Meg and co. And yet, as the darkness that has taken their dad threatens to engulf the kids forever, the film does take a surprisingly grim turn.
I can’t remember if I’ve ever seen a fantasy or sci-fi film before that doesn’t feature a single fight scene, or even anything that could be called a weapon. The conflicts in this film – and L’Engle’s book – are resolved by intelligence, understanding and working together.
This is an episodic film. It lurches to a halt occasionally just to have a chat, and at times it’s a little too in love with its own beauty at the expense of its narrative.
But there is a commitment to the story and the characters here that is palpable. The people and their relationships aren’t merely devices to justify the set-pieces, they are the reason the film exists.
And any film in which all the best decisions are made by women, three of whom can get around space and time just by thinking about it, and one of whom speaks only in classical poetry, is frankly a little overdue when women in most mainstream sci-fi until very recently didn’t get to do much at all but sit in the background making admiring noises while the boys played with their toys.
But A Wrinkle in Time isn’t just an exercise in doing the right thing.
It’s a smart, funny, spectacular and deftly done film.
– Graeme Tuckett
New Girl, 2pm, Saturday, Three
Zooey Deschanel and company return for the seventh and final season of this US sitcom that takes a modern look at friendship and romance. In this week’s premiere, it has been three years since we last left our heroes and Jess (Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson) have just returned from a European book tour. Meanwhile, Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Cece (Hannah Simone) celebrate their daughter Ruth’s birthday with a party, where Jess runs into one of her exes.
Still Open All Hours, 7.30pm, Sunday, Jones!
In season 4 of this sequel series to the much-loved British sitcom Open All Hours, Granville (David Jason) is trying to increase business at Arkwrights by offering fitness classes, while trying to win the affections of Madge (Brigit Forsyth) and help Gastric (Tim Healy) find love.
The Shallows, 8.45pm, Sunday, TVNZ2
Blake Lively delivers a virtuoso performance in this 2016 horror about a surfer who is attacked by a great white shark just 200 yards from shore. ‘‘What could have been mere summertime chum is actually one of the more cleverly constructed B-movies in quite some time,’’ wrote The Guardian‘ s Jordan Hoffman.
All-Star Family Feud, 7.30pm, Monday, Three
Mediaworks’ two comedy giants have gone head-to-head twice before on the Dai Henwood-hosted game show. With both having tasted victory and defeat, this one is being billed as the ultimate decider. Jono and Ben will be joined by Guy Williams and Laura Daniel as they play for Lifeline Aotearoa, while the 7 Days team consists of Jeremy Corbett, Ben Hurley, Paul Ego and Urzila Carlson who will play for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer NZ.
Doctor Doctor, 8.30pm, Wednesday, TVNZ1
As this popular Aussie drama returns for a second season, Hugh (Rodger Corser) must face up to life in Whyhope without Penny (Hayley McElhinney). Among the distractions, as his time on probation runs out, is the arrival of new nurse Mia (Shortland St’s Brittany Clark).
Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 8.30pm, Thursday, Three
Rupert Wyatt’s 2010 take on the much-loved franchise is a prequel/ reboot to rival Batman Begins in its reinvigoration and reinvention of a seemingly moribund series. While the human cast (which includes James Franco and John Lithgow) are solid, it’s the simians who are the stars. Weta Digital’s superb CGI-creations will leave you stunned.