The Wonder

Starring: Florence Pugh, Tom Burke, Kila Lord Cassidy, Niamh Algar, David Wilmot, Ruth Bradley, Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, Brian F. O'Byrne, Dermot Crowley, Elaine Cassidy
Directed by: Sebastian Lelio
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
2022

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A nurse (Florence Pugh) is asked to observe a girl who hasn't eaten in three months.

Review:

Tim: My biggest takeaway from The Wonder is that Florence Pugh is one of the finest actresses working today and has the potential to be one of the best of all time. The range she has is astounding. She's a believable superhero, wrestler, and here, a grief-stricken nurse. Everything she does, she elevates the material around her. She does that here. In the end, I liked Sebastian Lelio's film and I loved Pugh's performance.

I went into this movie with high hopes- I'm always trying to find the great films each year, the ones that resonate and will become classics. The Wonder isn't that film. It's absolutely good- it's well made, artistic, gritty. But the pacing is plodding and the film eventually feels repetitive. The movie is only 1 hour, 48 minutes, but Lelio manages to make it feel a bit too long. It takes a long time to get where it's eventually going. I wouldn't say the conclusion felt predictable, but there's not enough surprises in the film. Even the big "twist" feels subtle and more subdued than it needed to. The movie does emulate real life, but not enough the truly dramatic parts. The film is always entertaining, even though it does occasionally feel mundane. The fact that Lelio never fully loses our engagement is a win, but he has Pugh to help with that.

Pugh is definitely the biggest draw here. Her reserved, nuanced performance is remarkable. She plays this character full of grief and outrage, but it's all beneath the surface. On occasion, it breaks free and you're treated to Pugh's incredible level of talent. She manages to build this strong connection with the audience while giving her character more complexity than was just written on the page. I don't know if the role is flashy enough for her to receive an Academy Award nomination- it wouldn't surprise me if she was passed over. I would be disappointed but it's not an outrage. Pugh is so consistently good, this is yet another exceptionally strong performance in a career filled with them. She is undoubtedly the main reason to see this film.

The supporting cast is good, but I was frustrated that they weren't utilized more. I really like what Tom Burke has done on C.B. Strike, but his performance left me cold here. He doesn't have quite enough to do- walking beside Pugh isn't compelling enough. But, he does get a decent amount of screen time- he plays the role well, but he never manages to elevate the material. Contrast this with the great Toby Jones- he gets significantly less screen time, but manages to make a far more lasting impression. I was so excited to see Ciaran Hinds here (I always am), but watching him sit at a table wasn't very exciting. I honestly can't remember anything interesting that he did in the film. His casting felt like a waste of talent. Kila Lord Cassidy was solid, as were the suspicious members of her family. As stated, the supporting cast is good, slightly above average. They're all just far below Pugh's performance.

When you examine the subject matter, there's so much to dig into. The central story is about a girl who claims to have eaten nothing for over three months. Her family proclaim it to be a miracle and she certainly appears devout. The village hires our protagonist nurse and a nun to provide 24-hour care and surveillance to see if the miraculous claims are true. Our nurse has been in war and approaches it not from a place of faith, but cold hard science. Any time you have science vs. faith, that makes for a compelling story. I loved how the film dug into these themes. It's fascinating to see the different worldviews that show up for the characters, especially when faith can be blinding. I found the story itself intriguing and mostly compelling. The place where the film stumbles is connecting these themes directly to the characters. I never really cared about any of the characters. I was amazed at Pugh's performance, but her character didn't connect quite as well. All the characters are flawed, but they all feel like they're kept at a distance. So, as we watch this story about a potential miracle and the scientific-minded nurse who doesn't believe it, it never feels as important as it should. You recognize you're watching a good movie, but it never fully draws you in.

Side note, I loved the many scenes of Pugh's character eating. I recognize we get far fewer eating scenes in films than we should. There's something remarkable here about the way the camera frames her, eating un-selfconsciously, while a girl close by claims to have not eaten for months. This was one of my favorite parts of the movie, a small thing Lelio did to contrast these women and make us think.

I liked The Wonder and I'm glad I watched it. It does showcase Florence Pugh's talent, which makes it a worthwhile endeavor. However, the movie can't quite break through. It's ultimately too forgettable and I believe I'll lose much of my memory of this film. Good, yes, but Lelio's film isn't quite good enough.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Little Women (2019), Midsommar, A Fantastic Woman