A fun, wildly exaggerated taste of everything it takes in order to get a movie to the finish line. Over the top characters offer a glimpse behind the scenes, in this tongue in cheek, unscripted, fictitious doc. A film full of twists and turns as it's hero dips into madness. Kalezic's performance was the most grounded of all of the actors, and offered a stability to the chaos of the plot. A solid debut feature for Wolfe, featuring impressive production value and sound design.
31 Reviews
Does this film verge on Mythology or reality.?
candyschnier3 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Watched this movie because one of the actors is my friend. I guess I should have watched the series from the beginning to get the full impact. But what I gleaned from this film is that older men can rock it. Sex, drugs, and intrigue. I loved that it was filmed in Cuba, with it's vintage cars, Hemingway's hangout, and beautiful women. Rick's character a man of mystery or myth. I found it very interesting that he carries Joseph Campbell book, an expert on mythology while visiting Mitch's grave. Is this a hint to the meaning behind the reality or the mythology presented in this movie?? Now does that make more sense than this movie does? Hey great effort for first time director, producer and writer Mitch Wolfe.
Waste of time
egzee8925 July 2020
The NEW Mr. Bean? Are you Kidding Me?
arfdawg-130 July 2020
Paul_santana says this movie represents the new Mr. Bean. Really? The film bares ZERO resemblance to anything in the Mr. Bean universe unless you count that both are movies.
That's where it ends.
I found the premise interesting but the film slow and rather boring.
That's where it ends.
I found the premise interesting but the film slow and rather boring.
An interesting experience
khiusttin31 July 2020
I found this film through my father. I was born in Cuba so I felt drawn to this film. The script was all over the place and the acting as well. You can tell they did it for fun and had a blast filming it. I can honestly say that I had a lot of fun watching it with my folks. It brought memories of places I would go to in Havana back in my day. Definitely a one of a kind film and a very interesting experience.
Strange Vanity Project or Practical Joke?
dave-145-5152661 October 2020
Thought provoking
rocklayer3 August 2020
Wingman offers a different kind of entertainment. The film has a raw style that certainly provokes thought, much more so than I was expecting. A fascinating look at a man looking for redemption in the truly beautiful background that Cuba offers. Mitch offers this sumptuous scenery whilst still focusing on the characters and the anguish of the wingman. Well worth a look.
Wingman or Wolfeman!?
samanthanoakes-236616 August 2020
Say hello to the NEW Mr. Bean
paul_santana27 July 2020
WingMan is not your typical run of the mill sort of movie, it's quite different, and I found it refreshing. If you're tired of the predictable Hollywood type of formula, then this movie is for you. The best part of the film was Mitch Wolfe, or as I refer to him, the new Mr. Bean. He's colorful and bumbling, and I couldn't get enough of his antics.
What a Tangled Web WingMan Weaves
kasyyz13 July 2020
This simple story of Mitch, a flawed and tv/film producer, escaping to
Cuba from creditors and predators and from his own failures, is more than
meets the eye. The film raises more questions than it answers.
Why is this Mitch character forced to flee Toronto for Havana, Cuba?
Why has he invested a substantial sum of money in this Rinaldo character,
who clearly has no visible talent or vision? Who is this Rick character who constantly
shows up in Cuba, but is only seen by Mitch? Does Mitch see Rick in his dreams or
in real life? There are some beautiful scenes of Havana, during the day. Are these
scenes of Mitch meeting up with the elusive Rick, a figment of Mitch's imagination or is this
real? The Mitch and Rinaldo characters are not fully developed and therein lies a problem
for this reviewer. On the other hand, the Goran character, a serious film director, caught in a chaotic
film shoot, is my favorite character. He has the best and funniest lines. His sardonic observations
are bang on. The ending is confusing. Was that by design or unintentionally? WingMan is supposed to be
a sequel of a larger tv series called WingMan, in which these same characters are introduced.
Perhaps if I had watched the WingMen tv series first, , I would have appreciated the WingMan characters more on second viewing, or not. I loved the music and dancing, though. And the shots of Cuba are quite memorable.
Perhaps if I had watched the WingMen tv series first, , I would have appreciated the WingMan characters more on second viewing, or not. I loved the music and dancing, though. And the shots of Cuba are quite memorable.
DREAMLAND
charlieangeltrading1 July 2020
Passionplay media the creators of WINGMEN TV where they pushed boundaries within the medium have made an unique movie that seems to encapsulate their search for something outside of the norm. It all could be a dream like walk for Mitch on his doomed quest to make a movie in Cuba. Then there is the self destructive producer Rinaldo who seems to be in a waking nightmare that he battles against with intoxication. Both characters struggle with the nightmarish tumble toward failure. With Ricky possibly appearing in various locations around Cuba. Only visible to Mitch and then to the sober director Goran who constantly questions his existence within this fluid plot. This movie is an artistic free style piece that will linger in your subconscious like a waking dream that slightly torments as you head toward resolution. Bravo Passion Play! Keep experimenting!
Sardonic Gem!
bellpcdve23 July 2020
Mitch is running down a dream that's chasing the dragon. Demons are chasing Mitch. The show must go on because we're all in it. It's true fiction. First you feel for the characters and then you realize you have become one, or always were.
I watched this film from the the comfort of Hunter S. Thompson's cabin with Bulgakov's cat tugging at my Montecristo between snorts of whatever Lazlo had poured into his bowl. Whatever it was, Behemoth was one drunk (and mouthy) delusion. "T-Rick-ster", the cat kept hollering. I thought he was making a metaphoric observation but it he was only mocking Kilgore Trout who was peering into the cabin through the kitchen "leak" to catch a glimpse of the beauty and truth within. Watching Mitch flailing, lost, I began to identify. Behemoth meowed; "you're not Mitch, you're not Mitch". "Of course not!" I scolded the drunken cat. I was there though, I think, maybe? I still am? Great film that I keep thinking about. Bravo Mitch Wolfe!
And Now For Something Completely Different...
jameswmacfarlane21 July 2020
Wingman is a unique and intriguing, thought provoking stream-of-consciousness style collage of real-life people playing not so real-life characters entrapped in a self-perpetuating and self-fulfilling circular story. The film has strong directing and effective creative editing supported by powerful visuals and a subtle soundtrack. Although sometimes lost in it's own intricacies the story unwinds into a more classic ending. Well done Mitch...
A Different Approach
nealmgoldstein24 July 2020
WINGMAN: MUSINGS ON ART,REALITY AND TRUTH
gwbellinger22 July 2020
For the fans of Wingmen, the series, be prepared for a descent into a cauldron of darkness where our Wingman- Wolfe- struggles to emerge from a disastrous film production into a radiant new future.
Wolfe, the scheming, dissembling, skirt-chasing producer- yet somehow a likable character- of the series- has escaped to Havana to avoid creditors and other barbarians at the gate; believing this is his last chance to create his film. Arriving he finds the project in chaos and woefully incomplete. With a saddening realization of the cascading end to his film our man in Havana journeys into the heart of the old city searching for his muse- the enigmatic Rick. Wolfe (the actor) skillfully plays through his body and facial language a weighted soul doggedly intent upon the reclamation of his film (and his soul?).
Clearly paying homage to Wells' The Other Side Of The Wind, Wingman manipulates time and plays with multiple perspectives of narration. This draws the viewer to question the characters' actions and motives as experienced by themselves (the characters), the actors and the viewer. "What is happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear."
A multi-dimensional reality emerges as Wolfe wanders Leo Bloom-like through the fetid neighborhoods of Havana. Fleeting images of Rick appear in various scenes throughout Wolfes' journey. Rick is sometimes solid and substantial; sometimes a fleeting dreamlike image. But ,often in profile, Rick is a menacing shape- a foretelling symbol of darkness. Wolfe, often questioned and doubted about the reality of Rick steadfastly holds to the truth of what he perceives- the truth of Rick- really Rick as a creative force- Mitch's muse.
This archetype for creativity is illuminated as Wolfe sees Rick eerily posed and almost identical beside Hemingway's bust in the Floridita bar. Rick is later revealed as a manipulator of certain realities.
Is Wolfe the artist struggling to create his film or is Rick the creator ruthlessly manipulating plot and characters to create a truth? Art is a lie that makes us realize a truth. (Picasso) Well here it is on film.
And what truth is found in Wingman? Is Wolfes' journey through a decaying tropical city to find Rick(this film in feeling so reminds the writer of Jean Cocteau"s post WW2 film Orphee) a long days journey into the creative act; is it a story of greed, fear and loathing in the film business; is it a social comment on an oppressive Cuba's opening itself to North American greed and Rabelaisian excess. Or is it the destructive act of the artist who tears apart, again and again, his reality so to shape a moment for all of us to savor and wonder at.
Wolfe, the scheming, dissembling, skirt-chasing producer- yet somehow a likable character- of the series- has escaped to Havana to avoid creditors and other barbarians at the gate; believing this is his last chance to create his film. Arriving he finds the project in chaos and woefully incomplete. With a saddening realization of the cascading end to his film our man in Havana journeys into the heart of the old city searching for his muse- the enigmatic Rick. Wolfe (the actor) skillfully plays through his body and facial language a weighted soul doggedly intent upon the reclamation of his film (and his soul?).
Clearly paying homage to Wells' The Other Side Of The Wind, Wingman manipulates time and plays with multiple perspectives of narration. This draws the viewer to question the characters' actions and motives as experienced by themselves (the characters), the actors and the viewer. "What is happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear."
A multi-dimensional reality emerges as Wolfe wanders Leo Bloom-like through the fetid neighborhoods of Havana. Fleeting images of Rick appear in various scenes throughout Wolfes' journey. Rick is sometimes solid and substantial; sometimes a fleeting dreamlike image. But ,often in profile, Rick is a menacing shape- a foretelling symbol of darkness. Wolfe, often questioned and doubted about the reality of Rick steadfastly holds to the truth of what he perceives- the truth of Rick- really Rick as a creative force- Mitch's muse.
This archetype for creativity is illuminated as Wolfe sees Rick eerily posed and almost identical beside Hemingway's bust in the Floridita bar. Rick is later revealed as a manipulator of certain realities.
Is Wolfe the artist struggling to create his film or is Rick the creator ruthlessly manipulating plot and characters to create a truth? Art is a lie that makes us realize a truth. (Picasso) Well here it is on film.
And what truth is found in Wingman? Is Wolfes' journey through a decaying tropical city to find Rick(this film in feeling so reminds the writer of Jean Cocteau"s post WW2 film Orphee) a long days journey into the creative act; is it a story of greed, fear and loathing in the film business; is it a social comment on an oppressive Cuba's opening itself to North American greed and Rabelaisian excess. Or is it the destructive act of the artist who tears apart, again and again, his reality so to shape a moment for all of us to savor and wonder at.
Mitch Wolfe "The New Hollywood"
WINGMAN9921 June 2020
What a wonderful directorial debut by Mitch Wolfe , I really enjoyed the time and effort you put into this heart wrenching project . I appreciate the elicited emotion on all fronts from beginning to the end . Miko was my favourite character though. Keep up the great work Mr. Wolfe
Another Dimension
charlieangeltrading1 July 2020
This movie drives me crazy. Is it a movie? Or is it reality? Is Mitch in touch with reality? Is Don Puta in touch with reality? Am I in touch with reality? The Cuban girls were definitely in touch with reality! Is Ricky really there? The movie is possibly from Mitch's dream? Dream of failure, which he partakes? And Ricky appears and disappears like an hallucination. But drives us toward failure. But the unwitting director Goran realizes like we do that sinking feeling but still sticks around. This abstract video production convinces me of an netherland that you step into during the digital age. I appreciate this production and everything about it. Thank you Rick Smicklas!
What a Ride!!!! This movie is awesome A+++++++
david-4245824 July 2020
I had no idea what to expect when i tuned in.
This movie restores my faith in independent film makers.
I have been laughing non stop and glued to my tv!!!
The scenes in Cuba are awesome... only rivalled by the story line!!
Mitch and Rick are born naturals...omg
Im recommending this to all my friends and family and anyone who wants to see a 10+++ film filled with laughter, amazing acting and twists and turns not seen since my time at the local amusement park...
Keep up the good work and please don't stop making amazing films.
This is a must watch!!!!
This is a must watch!!!!
CRAZY WINGMEN
joshabautista30 June 2020
I love the fact that these are actors playing reality characters. I just couldn't stop watching. Mitch ( who is a very natural character. Seems like a pleasant person) and Rinaldo ( plays a nutty coked out producer well) are running a doomed production and the director, who was brilliantly played by Goran who is caught in the middle.. Which I found all funny. Then there is the puppet master Ricky in the shadows.( who I would have liked to see more of). This is a really crazy, unique gig that I enjoyed..
Delusional Spin Indeed!
rinara-3953027 June 2020
My take on this film was a tad confusing in the first 25 minutes though, it played out clearly for me by the end. The scenes that I enjoyed were when Rick and Mitch were cruising in the convertible in Havana and Mitch dancing and exploring the streets of Havana. The soundtrack of the film was tolerable and familiar which made it pleasant to continue watching. I too was convinced that Rinaldo aka so-called Don Punta's character was dead - in a way I was glad as his character was tiresome. I enjoyed Goran's role as he was most balanced and focused on all of the lead players - you really need one character that is clear and solid amongst the group I say!
Fun film..
guytanderson24 July 2020
The Sad Downward Fall of a Delusional Film Producer
regentstreetcap-7778123 June 2020
The film,WingMan, is a cautionary tale about how blind
hope and a passion for film making do not necessarily
produce entertaining or even popular art. The lead character is a seriously
flawed film maker, named Mitch, a self-absorbed Harvard-educated,
film and tv producer, who has apparently fallen on hard times.
The wolf is at the door . As Mitch's creditors, predators and
angry investors threaten his local studio. Hence Mitch must
take his act on the street and then to Havana, Cuba in one last
desperate attempt to salvage an ill-fated film, "Don Punta",
being filmed and produced in Cuba. And perhaps salvage Mitch's
failing film and tv producing career.
Joining Mitch on this ill-fated flight to Cuba, is Goran, an actor turned director and Mitch's moral conscience.
Mitch has entrusted the "Don Punta", film to Rinaldo, a former valet parking attendant turned actor turned wannabe drug lord, who has apparently blown the film money on a fancy villa, booze, drugs and local "actresses", whose siren calls also seem to have waylaid Mitch's quest for film making gold.
Overseeing this film about a seriously flawed film shoot, is the ghostly presence of Rick, a charismatic, bigger than life Hemingwayesque character who seems to be the real puppet master behind this largely unscripted film within a film.
Clearly echoing the clowns in Beckett's "Waiting for Godot", Mitch and Goran embark on a quest to find the elusive Rick, the results of which are sadly predictable.
Mitch's descent into apparent madness and delusion also echo the dramatic finale of Bergman's "Persona", with Mitch reprising the Bibi Andersson role to Rick's Liv Ullmann.
What salvages this docu-like film of the making of a film in disarray is Havana itself.
This film brilliantly captures the raw beauty of Havana, its vitality, its colors and its shabbiness. There are incredible shots of Havana's dreamlike and dangerous night life; its brightly-colored 50s American convertibles, stuck in time. And of course, Havana's beautiful and mysterious women who walk, move and dance to a wonderful intoxicating Cuban beat. Oh the Cuban music and culture. This film just pulsates with unique local Cuban music.
Don't be fooled by the apparent simplicity of WingMan. The film's layers have layers. The film's dreams have dreams. And the actors playing actors and directors and unreliable narrators will still mystify even after several viewings.
Joining Mitch on this ill-fated flight to Cuba, is Goran, an actor turned director and Mitch's moral conscience.
Mitch has entrusted the "Don Punta", film to Rinaldo, a former valet parking attendant turned actor turned wannabe drug lord, who has apparently blown the film money on a fancy villa, booze, drugs and local "actresses", whose siren calls also seem to have waylaid Mitch's quest for film making gold.
Overseeing this film about a seriously flawed film shoot, is the ghostly presence of Rick, a charismatic, bigger than life Hemingwayesque character who seems to be the real puppet master behind this largely unscripted film within a film.
Clearly echoing the clowns in Beckett's "Waiting for Godot", Mitch and Goran embark on a quest to find the elusive Rick, the results of which are sadly predictable.
Mitch's descent into apparent madness and delusion also echo the dramatic finale of Bergman's "Persona", with Mitch reprising the Bibi Andersson role to Rick's Liv Ullmann.
What salvages this docu-like film of the making of a film in disarray is Havana itself.
This film brilliantly captures the raw beauty of Havana, its vitality, its colors and its shabbiness. There are incredible shots of Havana's dreamlike and dangerous night life; its brightly-colored 50s American convertibles, stuck in time. And of course, Havana's beautiful and mysterious women who walk, move and dance to a wonderful intoxicating Cuban beat. Oh the Cuban music and culture. This film just pulsates with unique local Cuban music.
Don't be fooled by the apparent simplicity of WingMan. The film's layers have layers. The film's dreams have dreams. And the actors playing actors and directors and unreliable narrators will still mystify even after several viewings.
The Pepto Bismol of Films
ericshapiro-2516325 July 2020
Is this another Casablanca with Mitch Wolfe? No but it's a witty spoof of espionage films which always preaches, "Have an Exit Strategy." Mitch Wolfe's cult film, complete with his headstone in full view (I mean, who doesn't want to see their headstone in advance?), is a show within a show within a show. When your only friend is your dog, you need to carry out a desperate strategy, and Mitch Wolfe's alter ego does just that. As Mitch says, "I should have prepared for the unexpected," and maybe that was the key to his unravelling. It kept me entertained, as it will you. And there's comedy within this espionage spoof. My biggest laugh came when Mitch's alter ego compared Wingman to an Orson Welles production. Brilliant! 9/10
What a Tangled Web WingMan Weaves
kasyyz11 July 2020
What a Tangled Web WingMan Weaves
This simple story of Mitch, a flawed and tv/film producer, escaping to Cuba from creditors and predators and from his own failures, is more than meets the eye. The film raises more questions than it answers. Why is this Mitch character forced to flee Toronto for Havana, Cuba? Why has he invested a substantial sum of money in this Rinaldo character, who clearly has no visible talent or vision? Who is this Rick character who constantly shows up in Cuba, but is only seen by Mitch? Does Mitch see Rick in his dreams or in real life? There are some beautiful scenes of Havana, during the day. Are these scenes of Mitch meeting up with the elusive Rick, a figment of Mitch's imagination or is this real? The Mitch and Rinaldo characters are not fully developed and therein lies a problem for this reviewer. On the other hand, the Goran character, a serious film director, caught in a chaotic film shoot, is my favorite character. He has the best and funniest lines. His sardonic observations are bang on. The ending is confusing. Was that by design or unintentionally? WingMan is supposed to be a sequel of a larger tv series called WingMan, in which these same characters are introduced.
Perhaps if I had watched the WingMen tv series first, , I would have appreciated the WingMan characters more on second viewing, or not. I loved the music and dancing, though. And the shots of Cuba are quite memorable.
7/10
This simple story of Mitch, a flawed and tv/film producer, escaping to Cuba from creditors and predators and from his own failures, is more than meets the eye. The film raises more questions than it answers. Why is this Mitch character forced to flee Toronto for Havana, Cuba? Why has he invested a substantial sum of money in this Rinaldo character, who clearly has no visible talent or vision? Who is this Rick character who constantly shows up in Cuba, but is only seen by Mitch? Does Mitch see Rick in his dreams or in real life? There are some beautiful scenes of Havana, during the day. Are these scenes of Mitch meeting up with the elusive Rick, a figment of Mitch's imagination or is this real? The Mitch and Rinaldo characters are not fully developed and therein lies a problem for this reviewer. On the other hand, the Goran character, a serious film director, caught in a chaotic film shoot, is my favorite character. He has the best and funniest lines. His sardonic observations are bang on. The ending is confusing. Was that by design or unintentionally? WingMan is supposed to be a sequel of a larger tv series called WingMan, in which these same characters are introduced.
Perhaps if I had watched the WingMen tv series first, , I would have appreciated the WingMan characters more on second viewing, or not. I loved the music and dancing, though. And the shots of Cuba are quite memorable.
7/10
OFF THE WALL WINGMAN
paulcarr-3582029 June 2020
A decent off the wall film. Goran Kalezic was my favorite character. I love this actor I want to see more of him. He's dry and funny. Maybe because Don Puta and Mitch are dead maybe they could use Goran for another season. With Ricky. I wanted to see more of Ricky. Him and Goran together would be great..Poor Mitch just couldn't get things going. Don Puta was out of control. Basically an unhappy guy. I love the three Cuban girls.I want to see more of this crazy production.
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