Wonderland

Review by Clint Morris

About one minute into Paul Cox’s Wonderland, we’re informed (by a bible bashing Carrie Fisher, no less) that “This boyfriend of yours, this John… Talk about your Demons… He’s bad news”.

To many, John Holmes was bad. He was the king of porn cinema - a nightmare for every mother, and the sneer target of every heterosexual male.

But was he a murderer?

For those that don’t remember, On July 1st, 1981, four of the six members of a gang of drug dealers were viciously murdered in a house on Wonderland Avenue in Los Angeles. Has-been porn star John Holmes [Val Kilmer] was somehow involved in the crime.

David Lind [Dylan McDermott] told authorities Holmes was behind the murders. Holmes himself gave a rather different story, giving the impression he was an innocent caught up in a fickle situation. Trying to get the truth or an unswerving answer out of either witness is like finding a beta tape in blockbuster. Impossible.

With P.T Anderson’s Boogie Nights already having covered the rise and fall of the porn star story - predominantly Holmes’s story, which the latter film’s central character, Dirk Diggler, was loosely based on - Cox decides to go in a different direction with Wonderland.

In fact, there’s not a hint of sex or barely a mention about the porn industry throughout the whole film. This is Holmes post-porn hey-day, a sad loser whose day-to-day ritual seems to be far from bedding beautiful ladies.

It’s more bongs, syringes and blunt disposable shavers than naked bits and bobs. A brave move on behalf of Cox going straight for the post-show, because many might come expecting to see something on Holmes career. It’s those folks that the film won’t grab until quarter way through.

Cox’s film does start to point the finger at who was behind the butchery, but only after an hour and a half of Rashomon -esque events where we see and hear the stories from a couple of different people’s point of view. At the end of the day, one doesn’t care about any of the characters – they’re all pretty despicable people. But still, you’ll want to know.

Its Cox’s unusual filming style – he uses a lot of grain and murky colours to give the film that ‘old look’ visualisation - and courageous editing choices that make Wonderland the film it is.

Sure, some will be disappointed by the lack of John Holmes-like ‘action’, but others will appreciate the intriguing mystery rather than what could’ve played out.

Performances are the star attraction. Val Kilmer proves himself one of today’s most gifted and versatile actors as the sleazy, mostly unpleasant Porn star. Josh Lucas [The Hulk] gives a menacing, appropriately over-the-top performance as the gang’s lead drug dealer, and Kate Bosworth [Blue Crush] gives a believable and somewhat disturbing turn as Holmes’ young girlfriend, Dawn.

Wonderland isn’t Boogie Nights. It’s a different story, and it’s not as good a picture. It just doesn’t grab you as much as it could have, nor is it packed with the detail one might have been beseeching.

What it is, though, is an intriguing peer at one of history’s most shadowy real-life mysteries, and another base for the superb Val Kilmer to shine in yet another fine carbon of real-life persona.

3.5 out of 5

Wonderland
Australian release: Thursday January 29th
Cast: Val Kilmer, Lisa Kudrow, Kate Bosworth, Dylan McDermott, Josh Lucas, Franky G, Tim Blake Nelson, Eric Bogosian, Ted Levine, Christina Applegate, Natasha Gregson Wagner.
Director: James Cox.
Website: Click here.