Jessie Buckley is currently blazing a spectacular Best Actress streak all the way to the Oscars for her transcendent and remarkable performance in Hamnet. She is such an astonishing and captivating actress that audiences would gladly pay to watch her in absolutely anything, even The Bride!, an ambitious, punk rock, feminist spin on the classic Frankenstein tale which, without her magnetic presence, would undoubtedly fall completely apart.
A Bold Reimagining of a Classic Tale
Mary Shelley's iconic novel Frankenstein was originally published in 1818. It has spawned innumerable adaptations and spin-offs over the decades, none of which were actually penned by Shelley herself. This includes the cult camp classic The Bride Of Frankenstein from 1935, a film in which the titular Bride appears for just two brief minutes and does not utter a single word throughout the entire movie.
The Bride! sets out to boldly correct that historical oversight, giving its heroine not just one voice but, somewhat confusingly, two distinct voices. A significant portion of this film's narrative is indeed confusing and complex, requiring close attention from viewers.
An Intricate and Layered Plot
The story, as far as can be discerned, unfolds as follows: Mary Shelley, portrayed by the brilliant Jessie Buckley, finds herself trapped in a mysterious limbo. Somehow, she manages to beam her consciousness into the body of Ida, also played by Buckley, who is a gangster's moll living in 1930s Chicago. Shortly after this metaphysical transfer occurs, Ida is tragically killed. However, in a bizarre twist, she is subsequently dug up from her grave and reanimated by a mad scientist, played with gusto by Annette Bening.
This reanimation is intended to provide a suitable mate for Frankenstein's monster, known here as Frank, portrayed by a too-handsome Christian Bale. Frank has been crushingly lonely for more than a century, wandering the earth completely alone. Frank christens his newly created bride Penelope, as one naturally would, and the unlikely pair set off on a Bonnie and Clyde-esque spree across the countryside, though notably minus any actual bank robbing.
Penny's outspoken, sexually outrageous, and decidedly anti-patriarchy attitude triggers an empowering cultural earthquake throughout society. Her influence prompts women of all ages to enthusiastically adopt her distinctive black lipstick look and wild, unladylike ways of behaving and thinking.
A Cinematic Hot Mess of Ambitious Proportions
Fundamentally, this is a whole lot of movie packed into one ambitious package. It functions simultaneously as a love story, a gothic thriller, an on-the-run caper, a body horror film, a comedy, a steam-punk fantasy, a crime drama, and even a musical at times. The result is undeniably a hot mess of cinematic genres, but viewers absolutely cannot fault the film for not taking big, bold creative swings.
The Bride! represents the creative brainchild of actor-turned-film-maker Maggie Gyllenhaal, whose Oscar-nominated 2021 directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, also starred her self-declared soul sister Jessie Buckley. Her new film is very much a family affair, also featuring her real-life husband Peter Sarsgaard as a determined detective, with Penélope Cruz oddly wasted in the underwritten role of his patronised female sidekick.
Additionally, Gyllenhaal's brother Jake Gyllenhaal appears as a Fred Astaire-esque movie star whom Frank idolises throughout the narrative. Christian Bale's soulful portrayal of Frank is undoubtedly the sidekick in this particular show, playing second fiddle to Buckley's commanding central performance.
Behind the Scenes Battles and Oscar Buzz
Gyllenhaal reportedly had to fight the studio vigorously to secure Buckley's services for this project, a victory that must taste particularly sweet now given the substantial Oscars buzz currently trailing her leading lady. This acclaim certainly will not hurt the film's prospects at the box office as it reaches wider audiences.
The Irish actress's performance is every bit as fearless and committed as Emma Stone's was when she played another re-animated female corpse in the superior film Poor Things. However, Buckley brings to her role a glorious, unique humanity that is entirely her own distinctive creation.
A Welcome Risk in Risk-Averse Times
You may not ultimately love The Bride! in its entirety, but you should certainly be glad that it exists in today's cinematic landscape. In an era where Hollywood is becoming increasingly risk-averse and formulaic, you have to genuinely admire an original studio movie from a female director that aims remarkably high, even if it ultimately winds up being too much to handle cohesively.
The film is a bit like Wuthering Heights in that particular regard, and also in its occasionally annoying use of punctuation marks throughout. This is not a monstrous disaster by any means, but rather more a case of something old, something new, something borrowed all thrown together but ultimately lacking sufficient glue to bind everything together seamlessly.
All films mentioned are currently showing in cinemas nationwide for those interested in experiencing this ambitious cinematic experiment firsthand.
