Review: A Wish for Giants (2018)
Unlike many indie films, the editing made sense and the transitions were smooth when entering the next scene. Those transitions were accompanied by a sweeping, thematic score which sometimes felt disconnected from the story being presented. But the compos
+/- Recommended with Discretion - NR, Drama, Fantasy
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A woman meets a young girl with a life threatening condition while doing volunteer work. The little girl has one unique wish: to find Bigfoot. And so the pair embark on a journey and must overcome obstacles that spell out certain disasters.
A Wish for Giants isn't the typical Bigfoot movie, and for that, it deserves credit. A Wish for Giants' foundation was built for success. Unfortunately, the translation from script-to-screen left much to be desired. Overall, the weakest portion of the film stems from the writing. At times, it does feel like a drama and then other times it comes across as more of a political thriller. The tonal shifts are jarring and instantly removed me from the story being told; it felt like three or four different movies wedged together disproportionately.
Beyond the sub-par writing, the line delivery falls flat; many times teetering on cringe-worthy. I don't believe these are truly bad actors, but they appear as so, simply due to the misplaced dialogue. Many of the characters are unlikable and the rest of them don't have satisfying arcs or conclusions. It should be noted, however, that the screenplay was adapted from a novel of the same name by Aaron Dunbar. I haven't read the novel, so it's unclear if these dialogue pieces were copied from the original source material.
Color contrast is important for a film; especially when the themes rely on the visual cues. A Wish for Giants desperately needed color correction. Many camera shots, while varied, were dull; stripping the beautiful scenery of any real depth and complexity. Don Swanson (Forest Queen), was responsible for the direction, editing, and cinematography. The direction and cinematography were questionable at best, but it was the editing that salvaged any remaining compliments that I have outside of the plot.
Unlike many indie films, the editing made sense and the transitions were smooth when entering the next scene. Those transitions were accompanied by a sweeping, thematic score which sometimes felt disconnected from the story being presented. But the composition was mainly successful in garnering a semblance of emotion, nonetheless. If you are an indie film maker, A Wish for Giants is the perfect type of film to take notes on. Showing the most effective portions of indie film-making but also shedding some light on what might not work.