Peen Simmons
Let’s Get Obtuse!
Just saw it. It’s wonderful. You all should see it. Even @Gary Blanchard
The Bride!
- Thread starter Peen Simmons
- Start date
jrockbridge
Stealing Your Riffs
Peen Simmons
Let’s Get Obtuse!
No “!” so you’re not looking at the same film.
Inconceivable!Was she a princess?
jrockbridge
Stealing Your Riffs
Critics are not fond of The Bride!
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Candice McMillan
Seattle Refined
Her character may be an icon of feminism, but Buckley's scattered portrayal can't shake the inevitable flatline of this tortured renaissance.
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Armond White
National Review
So much absurdity occurs in The Bride! that Gyllenhaal might as well have included bloopers.
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Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Maggie Gyllenhaal takes an unflinching approach, throwing in action, crime drama, romance, thrills and lots of references to monster movies. But this scattershot approach blurs the film's plot and themes, which stubbornly refuse to coalesce.
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Whang Yee Ling
The Straits Times (Singapore)
This feminist horror opera is all aimless passion with an emphatic exclamation mark.
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Johanna Fateman
4 Columns
...monsters, rape-revenge, a nineteenth-century woman writer—I really mean it when I say that I would absolutely love this movie if everything about it were different.
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Patrick Beatty
ABC4 Utah
"The Bride" takes bold moves in its story, but falls apart in its execution.
…………………………….
Candice McMillan
Seattle Refined
Her character may be an icon of feminism, but Buckley's scattered portrayal can't shake the inevitable flatline of this tortured renaissance.
—————————-
Armond White
National Review
So much absurdity occurs in The Bride! that Gyllenhaal might as well have included bloopers.
——————————-
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Maggie Gyllenhaal takes an unflinching approach, throwing in action, crime drama, romance, thrills and lots of references to monster movies. But this scattershot approach blurs the film's plot and themes, which stubbornly refuse to coalesce.
———————————-
Whang Yee Ling
The Straits Times (Singapore)
This feminist horror opera is all aimless passion with an emphatic exclamation mark.
—————————————-
Johanna Fateman
4 Columns
...monsters, rape-revenge, a nineteenth-century woman writer—I really mean it when I say that I would absolutely love this movie if everything about it were different.
———————————————
Patrick Beatty
ABC4 Utah
"The Bride" takes bold moves in its story, but falls apart in its execution.
Peen Simmons
Let’s Get Obtuse!
The critics are kinda wrong in this case. It’s really good. But it does require the audience to roll with it. It’s a frankenmovie—tons of allusion and pastiche and it’s definitely doing some pomo feminist stuff AND just trying to be a romp, sense-making be damned.
I mean, is it literally depicting Mary Shelley exactly as she was or as she is usually depicted? Of course not, but the movie in no way pretends that is what it is doing. And it’s not a direct adaptation of Frankenstein that misses every single point like Del Toro’s absolute turd that is nominated for Best Picture.
It’s a glorious punk rock fever dream for people who like books and movies.
jrockbridge
Stealing Your Riffs
Audiences are much more forgiving of the experience. I’ll give it a whirl when it comes to streaming.
shoeless
Riffin'
baimun
Funkasaurus Rex
I'm a sucker for any Frankenstein content.... good, bad, and weird. Will def see.
micwalt
Too Controversial To Have An Athleisure Line
Wow, I think you're the only other person besides my wife and me who didn't like Del Toro's version. I feel vindicated.
Peen Simmons
Let’s Get Obtuse!
Del Toro’s Frankenstein was turgid and stupid and inexplicably seemed to use a bunch of sets and ideas left over from Crimson Peak.
Adaptations are always their own thing, but I kinda felt Del Toro didn’t really “get” the novel or have much to say about anything even somewhat adjacent to the novel. It didn’t seem to engage with the pop culture or cinematic legacy of Frankenstein as a thing. I thought the Rashomon perspective shift didn’t really work/improve things. It lacked the dueling bildungsroman thing that the novel does—at least in any way that felt meaningful. Having Victor be abused and the monster be abused and them both grow up to be weird assholes was a choice. The love triangle was done stupidly and didn’t work at all. I felt bad for poor Chris Waltz being stuck in that ridiculous Temu version of the character he always plays. Making Victor a rival of his brother was dumb.
Also, it was boring…which is the kiss of death for a creature feature and a gothic romance.
I mean, I dig a remix. The Bride! is excellent. I really liked Nosferatu. But Del Toro didn’t do that and didn’t do the source material any favors. Also, it looked bad.
micwalt
Too Controversial To Have An Athleisure Line
I agree with all this. Extra points for the Rashomon reference. I'm ashamed to say as an English major that I had to look up bildungsroman.
Will check out Bride.
Bob411
thrumming with potential
Don't be so hard on yourself. If you were a German major, maybe then you should be ashamed. I didn't look it up till you said you did. I was assuming it was just some loony combination of letters Peen strung together.