The Bride

By Joanna Langfield

You can’t help but be impressed by Maggie Gyllenhaal’s take on this classic horror story. It’s audacious, ferocious, has terrific performances and a throbbing feminist heart. I just wish it had been stitched together a bit more judiciously.

Set in 1930’s Chicago, we meet an achingly lonely Frankenstein, wonderfully played by Christian Bale. He makes his way to a scientist who, he believes, can create a mate for him. It doesn’t take too much persuading to get Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) in and, together, they dig up the beautiful corpse of a young woman who’d been offed by a mobster for her rebellious behavior. Brought back to a new life, we see Ida’s personality hasn’t changed much. But Frank kind of digs her recklessness, in fact, he’s kind of inspired by it. So, together, the two try to escape their pasts while creating their own future.

While the story draws directly from The Bride of Frankenstein, (there’s even a nod to Elsa Lanchester’s iconic eyebrows), other films weave their way into it, too. I kept channeling Bonnie and Clyde, via Joker 2. But your mileage may vary. The sets, lighting and camerawork are all terrific. But, while individual scenes work beautifully, somehow, the flow of all this action feels as bumpy as Frank’s scars. I would have been more emotionally involved by Jessie Buckley’s pedal to the medal Ida had she been a shade more modulated, shown us some vulnerability here and there, but Peter Sarsgaard, as always, is a treat and Christian Bale is just great as the monster with a soul that touches ours.