How was this goddamn movie a box office bomb?
Do people not know what's good?
It's got this great psychotic meta-narritive going on too. Maggie Gyllenhaal wrote/directed a real goddamn corker.
It's quite layered and clever, unhinged but really very much a story that's special to me. I've always loved Hammer's subverting of the Frankenstein story into Dr Frankenstein as the focus, and science without ethics, this twists it around again with a new feminist tone.
The Creature is introverted, lacks assertiveness at times, is sadly submissive (in bad ways) from all the terrible things people have done to him for 100 years, he has negative self esteem, sensitive to rejection, fear of the mob when things inevitably seem to go wrong for him over the years. His loneliness and unloved existence for so long, he's flawed and has a lot of learn about love. The setting was perfect for the story.
And "The Bride" matches and fits with him, she's assertive and loud, she's free-spirited, authentic and unconventional, well spoken and a little disturbed. And has a million surprises.
Peter Sarsgaard's character is flawed, but he's a good man in the scheme of things. He's great partner to Penelope Cruz's character. Truly very sweet and authentic friendship.
And the bookending with Annette Bening's Dr. Euphronious, she's a fucking goddess of the screen. [To think she started in my favorite movie The Great Outdoors (1988)]
It's such a well crafted story, its really beautiful and maniacal. And EXEMPLIFIES Women's roles under the patriarchy, and SUBVERTS IT EVEN FURTHER.
IF YOU DON'T WATCH THIS BASED ON REVIEWS OR HOW MUCH IT DIDN'T MAKE, YOU'RE MISSING OUT AN A GRAND PIECE OF ART!!!