Maggie Gyllenhaal directs Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale and Annette Bening in this feminist monster movie / period crime mash-up with a dash of musical.

The Bride doesn’t hold together. It is choppy, sloppy, wild and in your face. More articles have been published tossing around it than people bought tickets at their ABC. Gyllenhaal’s grotesque folly has its moments but often this is laughably awful. Po-faced, try hard, overreaching. It is at its best when it is silky and daft. An impromptu dance number here and a potty mouthed possession there. You always know what Gyllenhaal and the gang are trying to do. They just never commit to a choice. But the unruly B-roll shot selection and Up There Own Arse acting tones really make you lose faith. This won’t be a Rocky Horror or Showgirls. Why? Those were, and are, abrasive larks. This is a pity party. Love Me / Don’t Look At Me roulette. Good costumes, music and ultra violence.

5

Perfect Double Bill: The Bride (1985)