By Glenn Kay, For the Sun
Rating: 2 out of 4
Running Time: 127 minutes
This feature from Warner Bros. is now playing exclusively in theaters.
More than 200 years since its original publication, Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein continues to inspire artists, as well as various big screen adaptations of the story. Only a few months ago, Guillermo del Toro presented his take on the character. And now, The Bride! is arriving at cinemas. To be fair, this female creation was only mentioned briefly in the original book, but she certainly sparked the imagination of filmmakers, with the 1935 effort The Bride of Frankenstein making a lasting impression.
This latest take on the character has nothing at all to do with the original book, or other adaptations based on the property. It is an ambitious and grandiose effort, but one that is difficult to connect with.
Set in the 1930s, the story begins with a gangster’s moll, who will soon be known as The Bride (Jessie Buckley). Seemingly possessed by the spirit of author Mary Shelley (also, Jessie Buckley) who urges her to fight against her oppressors, the woman acts out in front of a group of mobsters, eventually taking a fatal tumble down the stairs.
Across the city, a disfigured man, who is initially referred to as Frankenstein (Christian Bale), before it is shortened by others to Frank, visits Dr. Cornelia Euphronious (Annette Bening), a scientist doing research on the reanimation of the deceased. She recognizes him as “The Monster” created by Dr. Frankenstein, a moniker he does not approve of. The figure expresses his feelings of loneliness, asking for the doctor to make him a companion. She agrees, raising the recently deceased mobster’s lady. She has little memory of her past, and Frank tells her that they are, in fact, a couple. The pair head out of the road and ultimately become outlaws.
One thing that is immediately impressive is the make-up design on The Bride. It is very clever and unique, with the chemicals used in raising the dead causing parts of her otherwise extremely pale skin to turn black with a paint-like splatter. And her 1930s fashions also stand out.
Buckley, who is an exceptional actress, is really acting her heart out here as an amnesiac who is either being taken advantage of or simply lied to by virtually all of the men in her life. The film is bustling with too many ideas, but she is always interesting to watch and manages to convey at least some of the themes effectively, particularly those involving the era’s repression of women.
But as noted, when an energetic, go-getting project bites off too much, it ultimately comes across as something of a jumble, especially to viewers coming in without prior knowledge of what to expect. It literally begins with Mary Shelley conversing to The Bride and audience, who begins mimicking the author and eventually thrashing around a room. While Buckley is an exceptional actress, it isn’t easy to immediately engage with someone having an episode like this without much in the way of an explanation.
The romance between The Bride and Frank is one based on a lie, which makes him tough to empathize with. The pair visit an underground club in a very anachronistic sequence, and perhaps searching for a falsely idyllic life together, Frank shares an obsession with film star Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal). He insists that the pair go to movies starring the actor, which comes across as bizarre, especially when they find themselves on the run and naturally standing out among a crowd. Of course, they all eventually cross paths with the performer, which leads to a strange exchange and then a musical number(!) that devolves into violence.
Another odd subplot involves Detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard) and his secretary, Myrna Malloy (Penélope Cruz), who is, in fact, much more capable than he is. During their search, the interactions aren’t convincing or tonally consistent with the main plotline. The officers do eventually confront Frank and The Bride, leading to one character experiencing a breakdown of sorts, giving an extended speech and excusing themselves from the case.
One bit that shows promise involves women who begin to idolize The Bride, copy her distinctive look, and begin causing riots on the street. Alas, it’s only shown in a brief montage and is otherwise forgotten (until a scene in the credits).
The Bride! has a lot of ideas and few of them are fascinating, but the film should have focused on one or two. One even wonders if it was really necessary for Frank and The Bride to be undead and if the picture might have worked better as a 1930s picture about a female gangster firing back at her oppressors. Instead, this feature jumps around, switches gears, and feels like a patchwork that never quite coheres.
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