The Bride! review: Punky, feminist Frankenstein is a Gothic monster mess
Bride! (15, 127 minutes)
Verdict: Alive! And chaotic!!
Jessie Buckley is currently on an Oscar-winning streak for Best Actress with her outstanding performance in Hamnet. She’s such a great actress that I’d pay to see her in any movie… even The Bride!, an artsy, punk rock, feminist adaptation of Frankenstein, which would fall apart without her.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was published in 1818. This film spawned numerous spin-off films – none of which were penned by Shelley – including the cult camp film The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935), in which ‘The Bride’ appears for only two minutes and does not say a single word.
Bride! He sets out to fix this; he gives his hero not just one voice, but confusingly (much of this is confusing) two.
As far as I can tell, the story is this: Mary Shelley (Buckley) is stuck in limbo. But somehow he teleports himself into the body of Ida (Buckley again), a gangster’s underling in 1930s Chicago. Shortly after, Ida is killed. However (go ahead!), she is exhumed and revived by a ‘mad scientist’ (Annette Bening) to provide a mate for Frankenstein’s monster, aka ‘Frank’ (the too handsome Christian Bale).
Frank, like you, calls his bride ‘Penelope’; and they embark on a Bonnie and Clyde-like spree (minus the bank robbery) in which Penny’s outspoken, sexually outrageous, anti-patriarchy stance triggers an empowering cultural jolt: encouraging women of all ages to embrace her black lipstick look and wild, unladylike ways.
Basically, it’s a bunch of movies. It’s a love story, a gothic thriller, a heist on the run, a body horror, a comedy, a steam-punk fantasy, a crime drama, a musical, and a hot mess. But you can’t blame him for not making big swings.
Christian Bale (left) and Jessie Buckley in a scene from The Bride!
Bride! It’s the brainchild of actor-turned-filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, whose 2021 Oscar-nominated directorial debut The Lost Daughter also stars her self-described “soul sister” Buckley. His new film is a family affair; It also features real-life husband Peter Sarsgaard as a detective (Penélope Cruz is oddly wasted as his patronizing female sidekick) and brother Jake Gyllenhaal as a Fred Astaire-like movie star whom Frank idolizes.
Bale’s soulful ‘Frank’ is undoubtedly this show’s sidekick. Gyllenhaal reportedly had to battle the studio to secure Buckley’s services — which must be a particularly sweet victory right now, given the Oscar excitement following the leading actor. This won’t do any harm at the box office.
And the Irish actress’s performance is as fearless as that of Emma Stone, who played another reanimated female corpse in the (superior) Poor Things. But he also brings with him a magnificent humanity that is all his own.
You may not like the Bride, but be glad she exists. In an age where Hollywood is increasingly risk-averse, you have to admire an original studio film from a female director that aims high and ends up being too much to handle. It’s a bit like ‘Wuthering Heights’ in that respect (and with the annoying punctuation).
It’s not a terrible disaster. Rather something old, something new, something borrowed; but the glue is missing.
Mother’s Pride (12A, 93 minutes)
Verdict: Cozy British comedy
From Bride to Mother’s Pride… Inspired by the fact that four pubs a day are closing in the UK, this low-key comedy-drama from the makers of Fisherman’s Friends focuses on a failing West Country pub and a grieving family whose lives are brightened by brewing real ale together. A well-intentioned celebration of rural Little England, it’s brimming with rolling green fields, golden light, random TV faces (Josie Lawrence, Mark Addy, Miles Jupp), a malevolent dude (Luke Treadaway) and the comfort of complete predictability.
Luckily there is also Martin Clunes. The Doc Martin star is currently having ‘a moment’ after ‘Wuthering Heights’ (yes, there’s no escaping it) and his slick acting is raising the bar.
However, it cannot compensate for a script written with clichés about Sir Thomas.
It’s as if Beecham’s old saying ‘Try anything once except incest and Morris dancing’ is a brand new thrill.
Martin Clunes in a scene from the film Mother’s Pride, inspired by the fact that four pubs in England close every day
Dolly (18, 83 minutes)
Verdict: Home of the Texas Chainsaw doll
Dolly is a dirty, blood-soaked horror movie that isn’t interested in playing nice. Shot on cracked 16mm, the barely edited script sees Chase (American Pie’s Seann William Scott) taking his soon-to-be fiancée (Fabianne Therese) for a walk in remote woodlands.
But before they can pop the question, the couple are terrorized by a burly serial killer (a memorable departure from wrestler ‘Max The Impaler’) wearing a lacy little dress, a cracked porcelain doll mask and a large rusty shovel.
Dolly: Macy, a young woman, is kidnapped by a monstrous figure who intends to raise her as his own children.
Well-balanced between laughs and brutal nastiness, there’s niche franchise potential here for fans of Texas Chain Saw Massacre: ‘What this needs is more dollhouses,’ he thought.
All movies are in cinemas now.
Hoppers is a timely reminder that Pixar can still come up with original stories and make them entertaining. Pictured: King George and Mabel Beaver
BRIAN VINER: Pixar’s new eco sci-fi yarn has plenty of giggles
Hoppers (U, 105 minutes)
Verdict: Bouncing Pixar animation
Hoppers is the first Pixar release of the year, with Toy Story 5 to follow in June; The animation studio and Disney bosses continue to expand the story of Buzz Lightyear and Co. to infinity and beyond.
Reportedly, they even gave cowboy Woody a bald patch this time. Let’s hope they stop before sending him to an old people’s home.
Fortunately, Hoppers is a timely reminder that Pixar can still come up with original stories and make them fun; Even those who have a message worth giving. The theme of this movie is environmentalism; ‘moral’ – the importance of protecting the natural world from greedy politicians and business ‘interests’.
Of course, there’s not a lot of originality here, but director Daniel Chong and writer Jesse Andrews (whose non-animated credits include 2015’s superb coming-of-age film Me And Earl And The Dying Girl) round out the film with an imaginative sci-fi story about robotics.
Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda) is an energetic teenager determined to save a valuable open space on the edge of urban development; He and his late grandmother bond as they watch the animals come and go.
There seems no way to get past the powerful mayor (Jon Hamm), who wants the span to be concreted to complete the final section of the highway. But thanks to secret new technology known as ‘hopping’, which improves the ways humans and animals communicate, Mabel comes to live inside a robotic beaver, allowing her to foil the mayor’s dastardly plans – in more ways than one.
Along with all the environmental messages, there are also some very funny scenes and one-liners that provoked delighted, almost chirpy laughter at the press screening – even among some harsh critics.
If Toy Story 5 is this much fun, then maybe we can forgive them for going back to the same old drawing board.
