Maggie Gyllenhaal seems to me to be one of the success stories among actors who have gone behind the camera and became directors. After the remarkable debut with ‘The Lost Daughter’ now comes ‘The Bride!‘ which is more than a confirmation of a complete mastery of the tools of the trade. It is a completely different film in terms of theme, style and visual experience, belonging to a genre (of horror films inspired by Mary Shelley’s novel) that already has dozens of titles in a continuously growing list and in which highly experienced directors such as Guillermo del Torro have only launched themselves after many years of preparation. There is only one common thread between ‘The Bride!‘ and Maggie Gyllenhaal‘s first film – that of a declared feminism devoid of complexes and clichés, that kind of militancy whose artistic quality also makes it effective in promoting messages.
The monster created by Dr. Frankenstein in 1819 appears after more than a century of suffering and loneliness in 1936 Chicago, where an eccentric scientist experiments with bringing dead organisms back to life. Her wish to find a soul mate (or, if you will, a monster mate) is fulfilled, but the one brought back to life is a woman murdered by the local mob and, on top of that, infiltrated by the ghost of none other than Mary Shelley. A relationship will develop between the two that evolves into a love story as incredible as it is inevitable. As if in a film like ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ the two set off on the roads of 1930s America, hunted by the whole world: by the police, by gangsters, by hysterical crowds who would like to repeat the lynching attempt in the original film. Has the story of Romeo and Juliet found its equivalent? If death is not final, perhaps even the decisions of fate can be contested.
Maggie Gyllenhaal – who also wrote the screenplay for this new variation on the fate of Mary Shelley’s characters – has created a cinematic and visual universe in which the writer’s world, 1930s gangster films, the sin cities of Batman and Joker films and contemporary feminist themes meet. 1930s pop culture also receives a deep reverence: the monster is a fan of musical romantic comedies with an actor (played by brother Jake Gyllenhaal). Several musical numbers pace the story, all well done, although they seem more like contemporary disco numbers than scenes with music and dance from the last century. Maggie Gyllenhaal is an actress turned director who works wonderfully with actors. Jessie Buckley plays the lead role or roles and with this film she reinforces my belief that she is one of the best actresses of her generation. Christian Bale starts from replicating the physiognomy of Boris Karloff to create a monster who becomes the most human character of the film. Annette Bening, Penélope Cruz and Peter Sarsgaard are a pleasure to watch, even if their roles are not the most consistent of their respective careers. For me ‘The Bride!’ was a successful cinematic experience, exactly the quality entertainment I needed these days.