Unlike Peter Berg's polished, Mark Wahlberg-heavy attempts at addressing/glorifying working class issues in Hollywood, "Wonderland" sets a standard that seems to be all but forgotten. Grainy cinema-verite that finds art in the gilded grime in the innards of late-90s London, Michael Winterbottom manages to bring out subtle and nuanced performances out of his cast, all whilst keeping one eye constantly trained on the poetry of the camera. Startlingly frank but never rising to shrill sophistry, it stays at the surface like a passerby, taking snapshots of a way of life that is as immediately relevant now as it was 20 years ago.
Review of Wonderland
