Michael's Movie Grade: B+
An ambitious, original and fun thrill ride.
With how hard it is to find movies today that feel truly original (admittedly not an easy task when cinema has been around for over a century), it is amazing that a reimagining of James Whale's 1936 classic, Bride of Frankenstein manages to be just that. This film may borrow quite a bit from films from the past, but it does so with twists that make even these moments feel completely fresh. This movie has a very stylish look and feel to it. The film's use of color and sets simply creates an atmosphere that invokes a bit of the feel of the old monster movies, while still feeling like a film from the 21st century. The soundtrack similarly blends elements of the 1930's along with modern pop elements, which perfectly matches a film like this. Even at its most tragic the movie features a quirky sense of humor with a willingness to go as strange and bizarre as it can for a laugh. While not every one of these comedic moments land but the ones that do are truly hilarious. Even when the humor does miss though, you have to respect director/writer Maggie Gyllenhaal for not holding back from her very creative and singular vision.
Yet despite all of this film's unique style it does not overlook the story in favor of this. The story is a classic tragic romance. I was amazed at how moved I was by many of the romantic moments here. While the characters may be revived from the dead and appear monstrous, there is a real sweetness to many of the scenes between these characters. Because of this we grow to care about them and want nothing more than for them to live happily ever after. Much of this is due to the wonderful chemistry of Jessie Buckley (one of my favorite current actresses) and Christian Bale, both of whom convince us that these characters are truly in love. If this movie simply relied on gimmicks and stylish moments, it would be fun but instantly forgettable. It is that underneath all of this there is a real sense of heart that makes this so successful.
This film has its flaws as well. For instance, I am not sure that the inclusion of Mary Shelly as a character, ever completely worked from a narrative standpoint, though it did provide some fun moments. Though I know it seems silly to complain about believability in a monster movie, I found things like a modern-day dance club with strobe lights and a 3-D zombie movie existing in 1936 to feel more than a little distracting. I also found the detectives to be less interesting than the "monsters" and the film could drag when they were on screen.
Despite its flaws though this is an excellent film.
Yet despite all of this film's unique style it does not overlook the story in favor of this. The story is a classic tragic romance. I was amazed at how moved I was by many of the romantic moments here. While the characters may be revived from the dead and appear monstrous, there is a real sweetness to many of the scenes between these characters. Because of this we grow to care about them and want nothing more than for them to live happily ever after. Much of this is due to the wonderful chemistry of Jessie Buckley (one of my favorite current actresses) and Christian Bale, both of whom convince us that these characters are truly in love. If this movie simply relied on gimmicks and stylish moments, it would be fun but instantly forgettable. It is that underneath all of this there is a real sense of heart that makes this so successful.
This film has its flaws as well. For instance, I am not sure that the inclusion of Mary Shelly as a character, ever completely worked from a narrative standpoint, though it did provide some fun moments. Though I know it seems silly to complain about believability in a monster movie, I found things like a modern-day dance club with strobe lights and a 3-D zombie movie existing in 1936 to feel more than a little distracting. I also found the detectives to be less interesting than the "monsters" and the film could drag when they were on screen.
Despite its flaws though this is an excellent film.
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