3/5 stars

The most obvious thing one can say about To The Wonder is that it looks stunning. Luxurious shots of beautiful people wandering through sun-drenched cornfields or a rainy Parisian street are Malik’s bread and butter, and if To The Wonder was to be evaluated purely on an aesthetic basis, it would warrant five stars. Unfortunately, there comes the small matter of plot and dialogue, and unfortunately, this film is a rare wrong-footing for Malik, failing to provide the tenderness of his other films, such as that in The Tree of Life.

To The Wonder is a story about falling in and out of love, both with each other, and with faith. The film features a superb cast, with Olga Kurylenko and Ben Affleck the romantic leads, and Rachel McAdams and Javier Bardem in supporting roles. Kurylenko carries the film with what is arguably her most sophisticated performance to date, a Parisian torn between her duty as a mother and romantic wanderlust when she falls for Affleck’s hard-hearted American. Affleck has little to do himself, mainly standing around looking broody, which he does with suitable seriousness. Rachel McAdams seems unnecessary as a secondary love interest, only appearing for a short length of time and then disappearing with little explanation. However, the tragedy of the film is that too little attention is paid to Javier Bardem’s priest experiencing a crisis of faith.

Here Malik misses a golden opportunity to explore a truly interesting subject; Father Quintana is infinitely more interesting than Neil or Marina, and Bardem is underutilised in his role. A scene in which he visits the poor in his parish is particularly poignant, and Malik would perhaps have found a more engaging film with Bardem as his lead. The film struggles to really connect with the audience in any substantial way, and the confusing plot baring massive holes quickly becomes a drag. Most of all, To The Wonder does not feel sincere, and for this reason it is a rare miss for Malik, a director and writer usually adept at capturing human emotion.

Hannah Woodhead