‘Wonderful Life’, the latest romantic film from Netflix that premiered last week, is not just another movie. It is an opportunity for Danish pop singer Christopher Lund Nissen, known simply as “Christopher,” to showcase his sensitive and attractive heartbreaker side to the world. At 31 years old, Christopher recorded a new album for the movie’s soundtrack, which was released alongside the film, featuring nine new songs written by him, including an autobiographical track about his reaction when his wife told him she was pregnant (this will become relevant later on in an unexpected twist).
While Christopher’s biggest hit so far remains his 2016 single, “I Won’t Let You Down,” featuring American singer Bekuh Boom, a Netflix movie might just help him gain more fame beyond Denmark.
‘Wonderful Life’: The Story Behind the Netflix Movie
Elliott (played by Christopher) is a humble fisherman struggling to make ends meet. He never aspires to become a professional musician. His friend Oliver (Sebastian Jessen), however, dreams of becoming a singing star. Elliott agrees to accompany Oliver on guitar during a concert where they know a famous music producer will be present. When Oliver stumbles in his singing, Elliott intervenes to save the day and unexpectedly proves to be a much better singer than his friend. This leads to a heated argument between Oliver and Elliott, resulting in Oliver cutting ties with Elliott. Luckily, music producer Suzanne (Christine Albeck Børge) steps in to offer Elliott a chance at a new life. She invites him to her studio for a few weeks, promising to transform him into a star.
After getting fired from his job, Elliott accepts Suzanne’s offer. Suzanne introduces him to her daughter Lilly (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), also a producer, who will work with him to compose a new album of songs. Despite a rocky start, Elliott and Lilly bond, fall in love, and eventually sleep together. Simultaneously, their album becomes an overnight success. Suddenly, Elliott finds himself propelled into superstardom. Girls scream for him, and he grants interviews as if he were Paul McCartney in 1964. Everything seems perfect… until Oliver, Elliott’s former best friend, reenters his life and demands a share of his fame. From there, things spiral out of control.
‘Wonderful Life’: A Netflix Movie Review
Undeniably, Christopher is a great singer, and watching him perform is a pleasure. Unfortunately, ‘Wonderful Life’ fails to build an interesting or coherent plot that connects these performances. The film is not a comedy, yet I found myself laughing out loud repeatedly due to the absurdity of the characters’ actions. Poor translation is not a sufficient excuse for lines like “He knows how to sing, but he’s afraid,” which sound clichéd in any language. Additionally, Lilly’s traumatic background – her father’s suicide due to the pressures of the music industry – is poorly explored, lacking nuance and understanding of a serious real-life issue.
Then there’s the plot twist (spoiler alert!), completely out of place, revealing that Lilly is pregnant. Clearly, this twist was intended for Christopher to conclude the movie with the song he wrote about his own baby and wife, but it feels forced for the character he portrays. It’s a ridiculous ending for the film.
If you’re a fan of Christopher and love romantic stories, ‘Wonderful Life’ might still be worth a watch. However, be prepared for a movie that falls short of its potential and relies heavily on its star power rather than a well-crafted narrative.
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