In a hurry? Scroll down for my compact review.
Adapted from a book by Emma Donoghue, who also wrote 'Room'. I mention this because that book/film also involved a 'captive' child in a tightly constrained environment (controlled by a certain tyrannical presence). In the case of 'Room' the book was far better than the movie, I haven't read 'The Wonder', but my girlfriend has, and in her opinion the book is again better.
That doesn't surprise me, with a book, the reader spends much of the time building a sense of the environment and characters, but all this is conveyed instantly in film format. In this case, that leaves nearly two hours to fill with 'plot' and attempting to portray the inner life of those on screen. It's not that the moviemakers fail in this regard, in fact, the opposite, it's more that the result is drip-fed (pun intended) and, for the most part, pretty depressing to watch.
The cinematography, acting, sound, and set locations are all top-notch, but, unless you're fully prepared for a drawn out grim-fest, it's questionable whether or not there's enough going on here to hold the viewers interest until the end. I must say I'm torn on this one.
Lib Wright (played by Florence Pugh) is a nurse returning from the Crimea War. She has lost a child and a husband, so her relentless expression of misery and frustration is understandable. Lib is employed by the local all-male parish committee to observe the supposedly spiritual phenomena of a local child, Anna, who has allegedly survived four months without food. On first inspection, Anna appears to be perfectly healthy, but things soon deteriorate.
By day, Lib is portrayed as forcibly rational and sceptical and intent on uncovering a ruse, yet each night she engages in superstitious behaviour and dowses her emotional pain in narcotics.
Lib is clearly as traumatised and confused as the child. There are themes of abandonment, desperation, devastating family failure and...yes, patriarchal oppression (although I would argue the worst perpetrator here is not a male).
Quick side note: Donoghue once won the Stonewall Book Award for literature. Yes, that Stonewall. She is clearly a talented writer.... of a certain political persuasion.
Whilst some have seen this movie as profoundly anti-religious, I believe it is much more nuanced than that. Irrational, dogmatic and tyrannical beliefs can equally prosper outside of organised religion (communism, for example). By the 1860s, many Christians would be questioning the more superstitious aspects of the faith. In the movie, the committee is not all agreed on what is occurring and any attempts to rationalise the spiritual cannot be judged in the light of contemporary scientific understanding.
On a connected note, the movie is bookended by scenes panning across a contemporary film-set. I have my own thoughts on the connotations of this but will leave it to you to make of this what you will. However, there are some slight historical anachronisms present in Lib's behaviour. For example, when the child's family mention a sibling having 'passed over', it is obvious what is meant, yet Lib doesn't comprehend what would have been common parlance to virtually anyone in Victorian times (or even today, for that matter).
A difficult one to score. The movie is well crafted, the set-locations and consistent choice of tone palette are evocative. The ethereal blend of foreboding strings and futuristic/retro synth tones add to the unease and strange sense of time distillation. All the actors involved do their best to convey the relevant moods, the change in Pugh's face being particularly poignant during one later section. All this signifies a well-made movie with a distinct intent and a powerful presence. I just found it hard to enjoy, difficult to recommend.
If you find the theme appealing, add another 3 or 4 points to my score.
Compact review
Tone: Dreary. Dark. Relentless. Splashes of light and colour. Hopeful?
Visuals: Evocative tone palette. Minimal. Confined. Good use of lighting.
Script: Some pacing problems. Repetitive. Strange anachronisms. Very slow-burn.
Acting: Very good. Great cast.
Wokeometer: Medium to High. There is clearly a message here.
Overall: I enjoyed the historical setting but found the pacing slow. Very much a mood piece - you will need to be prepared for a long haul.
Adapted from a book by Emma Donoghue, who also wrote 'Room'. I mention this because that book/film also involved a 'captive' child in a tightly constrained environment (controlled by a certain tyrannical presence). In the case of 'Room' the book was far better than the movie, I haven't read 'The Wonder', but my girlfriend has, and in her opinion the book is again better.
That doesn't surprise me, with a book, the reader spends much of the time building a sense of the environment and characters, but all this is conveyed instantly in film format. In this case, that leaves nearly two hours to fill with 'plot' and attempting to portray the inner life of those on screen. It's not that the moviemakers fail in this regard, in fact, the opposite, it's more that the result is drip-fed (pun intended) and, for the most part, pretty depressing to watch.
The cinematography, acting, sound, and set locations are all top-notch, but, unless you're fully prepared for a drawn out grim-fest, it's questionable whether or not there's enough going on here to hold the viewers interest until the end. I must say I'm torn on this one.
Lib Wright (played by Florence Pugh) is a nurse returning from the Crimea War. She has lost a child and a husband, so her relentless expression of misery and frustration is understandable. Lib is employed by the local all-male parish committee to observe the supposedly spiritual phenomena of a local child, Anna, who has allegedly survived four months without food. On first inspection, Anna appears to be perfectly healthy, but things soon deteriorate.
By day, Lib is portrayed as forcibly rational and sceptical and intent on uncovering a ruse, yet each night she engages in superstitious behaviour and dowses her emotional pain in narcotics.
Lib is clearly as traumatised and confused as the child. There are themes of abandonment, desperation, devastating family failure and...yes, patriarchal oppression (although I would argue the worst perpetrator here is not a male).
Quick side note: Donoghue once won the Stonewall Book Award for literature. Yes, that Stonewall. She is clearly a talented writer.... of a certain political persuasion.
Whilst some have seen this movie as profoundly anti-religious, I believe it is much more nuanced than that. Irrational, dogmatic and tyrannical beliefs can equally prosper outside of organised religion (communism, for example). By the 1860s, many Christians would be questioning the more superstitious aspects of the faith. In the movie, the committee is not all agreed on what is occurring and any attempts to rationalise the spiritual cannot be judged in the light of contemporary scientific understanding.
On a connected note, the movie is bookended by scenes panning across a contemporary film-set. I have my own thoughts on the connotations of this but will leave it to you to make of this what you will. However, there are some slight historical anachronisms present in Lib's behaviour. For example, when the child's family mention a sibling having 'passed over', it is obvious what is meant, yet Lib doesn't comprehend what would have been common parlance to virtually anyone in Victorian times (or even today, for that matter).
A difficult one to score. The movie is well crafted, the set-locations and consistent choice of tone palette are evocative. The ethereal blend of foreboding strings and futuristic/retro synth tones add to the unease and strange sense of time distillation. All the actors involved do their best to convey the relevant moods, the change in Pugh's face being particularly poignant during one later section. All this signifies a well-made movie with a distinct intent and a powerful presence. I just found it hard to enjoy, difficult to recommend.
If you find the theme appealing, add another 3 or 4 points to my score.
Compact review
Tone: Dreary. Dark. Relentless. Splashes of light and colour. Hopeful?
Visuals: Evocative tone palette. Minimal. Confined. Good use of lighting.
Script: Some pacing problems. Repetitive. Strange anachronisms. Very slow-burn.
Acting: Very good. Great cast.
Wokeometer: Medium to High. There is clearly a message here.
Overall: I enjoyed the historical setting but found the pacing slow. Very much a mood piece - you will need to be prepared for a long haul.