WILSON

This comedy centers on a dysfunctional and friendless man who reunites with his wife and searches for the teenage daughter he never knew he had. Unfortunately, what could potentially have been the comedy sensation of the year, fails to ignite.

Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern are delightful as Wilson and Pippi, the problematic married couple, who stalk their daughter before introducing her into their lives.

The spasmodic humour arises from Wilson’s overbearing demeanor and his ability to scare off strangers through his questionable social skills.

However, after the family reunite, the film loses its direction, owing to a poorly written script which lacks substance and doesn’t leave much scope for character or story development.

The ensuing storylines are merely underwhelming time-fillers, the senseless and cheesy comedic moments unsuccessful in arousing laughter. The notable absence of an ongoing musical score also compounds to the tedious nature of the film.

Ultimately there was a good story to be told, but the many artistic flaws resulted in few laughs and a huge disappointment. (MMo)

★★ 1/2