The Darkest Hour director will follow up his Churchill biopic with a literary adaptation, making us worry that Joe Wright is losing his edge.
With multiple period romances, a fairytale thriller, and now a biopic under his belt, Joe Wright is certainly one of the more versatile directors in Hollywood today. None of his movies are quite alike, aside from their visual splendor. So, when he announces a new project, it’s inevitably surprising, if not always exciting.
Unfortunately, the “not always exciting” clause applies to Stoner. On Tuesday afternoon, Variety disclosed that Wright will adapt John Williams’s 1965 novel about the trials of a farmer-turned-academic.
Part of me is just glad it has nothing to do with drugs. The other part wants to fall asleep. I love good midcentury domestic fiction as much as anyone; Richard Yates’s Revolutionary Road ranks as an all-time favorite. Stoner is probably written with aching lyricism and clear-eyed wit. But a girl can only tolerate so much male angst before it feels like emotional labor.
The problem isn’t really the book, though. Nor is it Casey Affleck’s involvement. I maintain that the actor is a riveting screen presence and deserved the Oscar for his empathetic yet alienating turn in Manchester by the Sea. Which isn’t to deny that watching him in light of the sexual harassment allegations against him is an uncomfortable experience.
Really, I wish Wright would return to his strength: crafting stories about women. Notice that all his successes—Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, Hanna, Anna Karenina, the “Nosedive” episode of Black Mirror —feature (white) female protagonists. By contrast, his failures—the forgettable The Soloist, the maligned Pan —have male protagonists. Early Telluride reviews for his Winston Churchill drama Darkest Hour suggest it might break the trend; festival buzz can be unreliable, though. Either way, Wright is a rare high-profile male filmmaker who has actively demonstrated an interest in women. It is disappointing to see him abandon that.
Of course, it’s his career, not mine. Maybe I’m being petty. Already, I feel awards season fatigue approaching, the frustration of knowing that Dunkirk and Darkest Hour will be showered with attention while Lone Scherfig’s witty, poignant Their Finest is left in the dust. Maybe Stoner will be good. I might even get excited. All I know is, cinema has plenty of brilliant and disenchanted men and not enough Keira Knightley dancing in sumptuous gowns.
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Darkest Hour is scheduled for release on November 22.