Wilson

Synopsis: Wilson (Woody Harrelson) a middle-aged grouch whose only companion is his dog decides to change his life a bit after the death of his father with whom he had a distant relationship.

Wilson is a comedy for curmudgeons. Based on a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes (who was the writer of Terry Zwigoff's Ghost World) and directed by Craig Johnson whose previous film was 2014’s Skeleton Twins,a black comedy about suicidal twin siblings, it is a neat little indie-style comedy which though working familiar themes does it well. If you liked American Splendor (2003) you’ll enjoy this.

Wilson the character is not unlike Joseph Cedar’s Norman in the currently screening film of the same name and more. Both men are essentially lonely individuals driven by a need to be needed... by someone, anyone...and thereby give their lives some purpose. Norman finds his fulfilment in brokering deals between important people. Wilson finds it in putting together a family with his ex-wife (Laura Dern) and their now-teenage child which she gave up for adoption when a neo-nate. Unlike Cedar, Johnson and Clowes, who also wrote the screenplay, adopt a more determinedly comedic approach.

The film, at least in its early stages, tends to follow the graphic novel's episodic format with Wilson’s disaffected voice-over railing against the insularity of the modern world, an insularity which is, of course, his own. He visits an old friend who he realizes has grown bitter with age, tries unsuccessfully to pick-up a woman in a pet store who is even more disaffected than he, and goes on a date with a woman whose partner left her for another man. All this ultimately leads him to his ex-wife, Pippa. a recovering drug addict who as Wilson eventually tells their overweight 17 year old daughter Claire (Isabella Amara), paid for her drugs by “comforting” strangers.

As the characters are designed and performed for laughs they are somewhat manufactured. Thus, although Harrelson is engaging in what is a very different kind of role for him, Wilson in particular is in psychological terms literally incredible - both an alienated  pessimist and an indefatigible optimist - scaring off people who stop to pat his dog yet spontaneously approaching random strangers and encouraging Pippa to look on the bright side of life.. Dern is wonderful as the frazzled Pippa who, though she knows better is still susceptible to Wilson’s charms and Isabella Amara plays the fat teen well. Jon Brion's Angelo Badalamenti-ish score adds to class to the well-honed production.

There are people who don’t like this kind of ‘loser’ humour and Wilson is so steeped in the spirit that it won’t be an exception for them but if you have a well developed misanthropic streak it should tickle your funny bone.

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