3 months ago
51
Chilean manager Sebastián Lelio’s adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s 2016 novel is simply a wholly absorbing descent into the mist – of 1860s Ireland, of mysticism, of spiritual fervour. Put speech the distracting framing device, 2 present-tense bookends assumedly meant to underscore our quality to suspend disbelief that extremity up undercutting this eerie, singular play film.
The vibe is off, the temper unsettling, from the infinitesimal we conscionable Florence Pugh’s Lib, an English caregiver sent to a distant Irish colony to observe (or, arsenic galore townspeople hope, to confirm) a reported miracle: 11-year-old Anna (an awesome Kíla Lord Cassidy) who has refused to devour for 4 months and yet remains curiously healthy. Lelio’s movie approaches Anna’s anorexia mirabilis arsenic a slow-burn mystery, arsenic Lib grows fond of the miss and ever much frustrated with the inaction of those astir her, radical consenting to judge sacrifice to sphere their preferred mentation of the story. It’s a thriller of information versus religion that doesn’t justice the latter.
It besides reaffirms religion successful Pugh arsenic a performer, successful a thorny play relation that recalls her breakout successful Lady Macbeth. Pugh has yet to crook successful a little than coagulated performance, peculiarly arsenic a pistillate bristling astatine expectations, and she is utterly convincing here. Her Lib is fiery and steadfast, rational and susceptible arsenic anyone to flights of hopeless imagination. Pugh is astir terrifyingly self-possessed arsenic a performer; arsenic Lib’s vexation with her duty and desperation to prevention Anna escalate, I recovered myself clenching my teeth, transfixed.
What could easy person go melodrama oregon a inexpensive trauma crippled alternatively feels, successful Lelio’s hands, unusual and beautiful, changeable done with the earthy ruggedness of agrarian Ireland. The Wonder is an antithetic journey, Lelio’s crisp absorption ne'er allowing what could beryllium foreseeable revelations to extremity into predictability. But it’s Pugh who’s the wonderment here. Even with the framing instrumentality – yes, this is simply a communicative – you can’t assistance but judge her.
English (US) ·