Wondrous Oblivion: Hail Delroy

Reviewer: James van Maanen
Rating (out of 5): ***

While Wondrous Oblivion often approaches the first word of its title and never comes near the depths of the second, it does not, unfortunately, live up to its initial promise. There is a great deal to savor here, however, beginning with the time and the place: a lower-middle-class London neighborhood in 1960. In its center are two families: one Jewish, that has lost most of its progenitors to the Holocaust; the other Jamaican, ready to put down stakes in a changing England. The sport of cricket figures prominently in the film, yet this is no standard "sports" movie, for it deals as much with coming-of-age, racism and passionate, forbidden attraction as it does winning and competition. Writer/director Paul Morrison (whose 1999 film Solomon and Gaenor helped push Ioan Gruffudd toward stardom) and his production staff have recreated the time and place impeccably, and Morrison has cast his film equally well.

Delroy Lindo has perhaps his best role ever as the Jamaican patriarch, and he is splendid--as is every cast member down the line. The film is also to be congratulated for taking the road less traveled where sex, sin and infidelity are concerned. But after setting up a rich situation, peopling it with unusually decent but problemed primary characters, and giving it all such a gorgeous gloss, the filmmaker allows a certain predictability to slowly drain the movie of some--though not nearly all--of its energy and strength. Toward the close, there is almost a sense that Morrison is simply diddling, as the pretty visuals and effects go on and on when a less sentimental close would have been appropriate. Perhaps he was finding it difficult to say goodbye to these people whom he cared so much about. Whatever--I recommend you see Wondrous Oblivion because its strengths easily outweigh its flaws as it tells its nostalgic yet still-timely story about some of our favorite topics: race, religion and class.