Wonderful World - C-

One of the liberal fantasies perpetuated by Avatar is that less developed countries (like Haiti, for instance) are more spiritual and meaningful since they are forced to be in tune with nature and don' t have the distractions of jobs and responsibilities. Never mind their high infant mortality rate, crippling disease, and unending tribal fights. In Wonderful World, Matthew Broderick plays Ben Singer, a former child entertainer who now works as a book editor. His ex-wife has remarried and his daughter wants less and less time with him. Ben lives with Ibu, a diabetic Senegalese man, who slips into a coma early on. Ibu's sister comes to NYC to see him and hits it off with Ben, teaching him what's really important in life.

Ben is an unshaven, mean-spirited, dour sourpuss. It's no wonder no one wants to be around him. The fact that he used to sing to children only sets up an obvious, uninspired redemption. The culture discussions are one-sided with Senegal shown as a better country than America (I'm immigrating later this month). The only halfway interesting part is when Ben tries to sue the city for negligence, but this is woefully underdeveloped and immediately forgotten. Broderick does as much as his part allows, but he's set up to fail with a project as misconceived as this. The rest of the cast is instantly forgettable. I caught it on HDNET movies almost 2 weeks ago, and it's still available On Demand, but it's hardly worth your money, let alone your time. C-