This hard hitting movie is effectively gritty and seedy and does reasonably well at delving into a true crime story, from two different perspectives: first, that of David Lind (Dylan McDermott, sporting a different look for him), a biker type who gets caught up in a heist and loses his girlfriend in a later massacre, on L.A.'s Wonderland Avenue, that was a result of that heist. The second perspective is that of fading porn legend Johnny Wadd, a.k.a. John Holmes (Val Kilmer), during a decline in his life in which he was also implicated in the heist and murders. Two detectives, Sam Nico (Ted Levine) and Luis (Franky G) do their best to investigate the crime(s).
There's a lot of familiar faces here, but some of them have pretty small roles. Still, it's an impressive showcase for both Kilmer and McDermott, as Kilmer and filmmaker James Cox give us a glimpse into what the life of Holmes was like during the early 80s period. Kate Bosworth also does well in the role of Holmes's young girlfriend Dawn. Sometimes Cox's filmmaking is a little too high-style, and it may take a viewer out of the movie at those points. Ultimately, though, this may prove to be compelling for any person interested in real crime stories, as it introduces us to all of the key players involved, including a crime boss, played by Eric Bogosian in one of his better big screen roles. Also appearing are Carrie Fisher, Josh Lucas, Tim Blake Nelson, Janeane Garofalo, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Scoot McNairy, Christina Applegate, Faizon Love, Chris Ellis, Lisa Kudrow (as Holmes's estranged wife Sharon), M.C. Gainey, and Paris Hilton.
"Wonderland" is good stuff overall, and does leave one wondering in the end just how deeply the troubled, drug addicted Holmes was involved. It's good at serving as a portrayal of the sleazy side of L.A. at a specific point in time. Text at the end reveals the fates of the key players.
Seven out of 10.
There's a lot of familiar faces here, but some of them have pretty small roles. Still, it's an impressive showcase for both Kilmer and McDermott, as Kilmer and filmmaker James Cox give us a glimpse into what the life of Holmes was like during the early 80s period. Kate Bosworth also does well in the role of Holmes's young girlfriend Dawn. Sometimes Cox's filmmaking is a little too high-style, and it may take a viewer out of the movie at those points. Ultimately, though, this may prove to be compelling for any person interested in real crime stories, as it introduces us to all of the key players involved, including a crime boss, played by Eric Bogosian in one of his better big screen roles. Also appearing are Carrie Fisher, Josh Lucas, Tim Blake Nelson, Janeane Garofalo, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Scoot McNairy, Christina Applegate, Faizon Love, Chris Ellis, Lisa Kudrow (as Holmes's estranged wife Sharon), M.C. Gainey, and Paris Hilton.
"Wonderland" is good stuff overall, and does leave one wondering in the end just how deeply the troubled, drug addicted Holmes was involved. It's good at serving as a portrayal of the sleazy side of L.A. at a specific point in time. Text at the end reveals the fates of the key players.
Seven out of 10.