Writer: Siti Munawirah Mustaffa

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Watch this if you liked: “The Visitor”, “Then She Found Me” and “Elizabethtown”

By now, the reviewer is pretty sure that some of you may have already seen this film since its release in 2010 worldwide (save for Malaysia, of course). That, however, does not stop her from wanting to have a look, albeit a couple of years later. What could have been a better reason than to watch the lovable Matthew Broderick (anybody recalls good old Ferris Bueller?) in motions?

Unlike chirpy Ferris, Ben Singer (played by Broderick) is a cynic who places a negative view of the world. Nothing has ever been easy for him, a washed-out children's entertainer who has a tough relationship with his ex-wife, Eliza (Ally Walker) and daughter, Sandra (Jodelle Ferland) as well as being stuck in a dead-end job. Slowly, things begin to spark when his Senegalese flatmate, Ibu (Michael Kenneth Williams) falls into a diabetic coma, which leads him to meeting Ibu's sister, Khadi (Sanaa Lathan). Life, however, has its own rocky sides as Ben and Khadi face complications in their relationship due to the fact that they both come from two, complete different worlds. What would be the right thing for him to do in finding his own happiness?

Truly, the script is nicely written by director Joshua Goldin himself and the story is a mix of sweet and sad. The only problem with Goldin's directions, however, would be the film's pace that seems a little too slow and long, despite running for only an hour and a half. The reviewer also could not sense any chemistry existing between Ben and Khadi, as the mutual affection somewhat happens in rather abrupt and unnatural manner. What could have been a beautiful, touching story, somehow ends up becoming, well, plain and dry.

The bottom line is, "Wonderful World" may be a mediocre film that embodies every used life lessons found in any other independent feel-good movie. Yet, it's the honest emotions that somehow make the movie somewhat, likeable and easily relatable to most of us. Perhaps the saving grace of it all would be Broderick's admirable, underrated performance and his soothing singing voice when he displayed his undiscovered guitar-playing gift to the children.

Cinema Online, 25 September 2012