Wildlife

Cert 12A, 105 minutes, in cinemas 9 November

Starring: Ed Oxenbould, Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal Director: Paul Dano

THE PLOT In small-town Montana in 1960, teenage Joe (Oxenbould) lives with his parents Jerry (Gyllenhaal) and Jeanette (Mulligan). But when Dad goes off to fight bush fires, Joe witnesses his mother begin an inappropriate friendship with a wealthy widower (Bill Camp).

WHAT’S RIGHT WITH IT? Scripted with fellow actor Zoe Kazan, debut director Dano really gets under the skin of his source (a novel by Richard Ford), eliciting remarkable, off-kilter performances from his cast. WHAT’S WRONG WITH IT? Some will find this coming-of-age tale rather small in scope. VERDICT Male director, male author and male protagonist – and yet it’s Mulligan’s amazing performance as the unpredictable Jeanette that really rivets in this oddly compelling film.