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The Bride! Movie Review

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:17:19 +0000

Maggie Gyllenhaal continues her ascent in the industry with her work on The Bride! As both the film’s writer and director, it’s clear that her vision is an entertaining one. Her ability to borrow from so many sources and still deliver something fresh and engaging marks a grand road ahead. She corrals a great cast (including her brother Jake) and brings out some wild performances.

We’ve never seen Jessie Buckley, as the Bride, so electric. She fills every scene with a strong sense of danger as her character transforms in a wild arc. Christian Bale, almost unrecognisable at first as Frankenstein’s Monster, fills the screen with an almost overwhelming mix of aggression and sadness. Annette Bening is also fabulous as Dr Euphronius, who is tasked with bringing the dead back to life.

Every scene has a purpose, and this kinetic energy powers the film forward throughout its two-hour running time. It constantly brings in so many other film references; it’s a film aficionado’s dream. The art exists in those moments, being presented as a tribute and not as outright thievery. Gyllenhaal even succeeds in delivering an ending that validates your care for the participants.

In a nod to Bonnie & Clyde, Sid and Nancy and many others, Frankenstein and The Bride embark on a crime-riddled romantic road trip for the ages. And it speaks to Maggie Gyllenhaal’s sure hand at the till and her obvious love of the cinema (past and present) that the final product feels so fresh and holds together so well with so many influences at play. This all equates to a rollicking good time.
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Watch the new trailer for The Bride – coming to cinemas March 5!

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 16:59:51 +0000

From Maggie Gyllenhaal (Academy Award-nominated writer/director of The Lost Daughter) and starring Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley and Academy Award winner Christian Bale comes THE BRIDE! A bold, iconoclastic take on one of the world’s most compelling stories.

A lonely Frankenstein (Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious (five-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride (Buckley) is born. What ensues is beyond what either of them imagined: Murder! Possession! A wild and radical cultural movement! And outlaw lovers in a wild and combustible romance!

The film stars Buckley, Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, with Bening, Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, and Oscar winner Penélope Cruz. Maggie Gyllenhaal directs from her own screenplay and produces alongside Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Talia Kleinhendler and Osnat Handelsman Keren. The executive producers are Carla Raij, David Webb and Courtney Kivowitz.

Gyllenhaal is supported behind the camera by a team of award-winning film artisans, including director of photography Lawrence Sher, production designer Karen Murphy, editor Dylan Tichenor, music supervisor Randall Poster, composer Hildur Gudnadóttir and costume designer Sandy Powell.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A First Love Films / In The Current Company Production, A Maggie Gyllenhaal Film: THE BRIDE!. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, only in Australian cinemas March 2026.
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Check out the official teaser trailer for The Bride!

admin — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 16:46:23 +0000

Retro Movie Review – Crazy Heart

admin — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 16:12:38 +0000

In his directorial debut, Scott Cooper tells the story of a down but not quite out country singer Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges). The film relies heavily on the actor’s interpretative skills and the performances he receives are outstanding throughout, especially Bridges who delivers a career-defining role.

Bereft of luck and reduced to playing in bowling alleys and coffee shops, Bad Blake is in the twilight of his career and barely holding on. His alcoholic and stubborn ways have prevented him from enjoying the gilded life that many of his contemporaries are enjoying. This includes one of his earlier writing and performing partners, Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell).

The film’s believability is greatly aided by the fact that Jeff Bridges can actually play and sing. The songs in the film are also quite affecting and even if you are not a country music fan, their emotional impact will still be felt. Farrell also sings his own songs and has a surprisingly good singing voice. Maggie Gyllenhaal as single mom Jean Craddock is also very convincing even if the motivations for her romantic interest in Blake aren’t.

Throughout the film you get the sense that things are heading to a tragic finale and it’s to the filmmakers credit that they come up with an end that satisfies without being completely unbelievable, if fact the way that the end mirrors real life gives the film its most lasting impact.

Rob Hudson
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