Review - The Wonder

Directed by: Sebastian Lelio
Written by: Sebastian Lelio, Emma Donnaghue, Alice Birch
Starring: Florence Pugh, Tom Burk, Kila Lord Cassidy, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones, Niamh Algar, Elaine Cassidy,
Running Time: 103 minutes
Rating: 3.5/5

When do we believe the stories that we tell?

That’s the main question behind Sebastian Lelio’s The Wonder, a good-not-great psychological period drama with stellar performances from Florence Pugh and Kila Lord Cassidy.

Lib Wright (Pugh) is an English nurse sent to Ireland to explore the allegation of “Wonder” Anna O’Donnell (Lord Cassidy), a young girl that alleges to not have eaten since her last birthday, months ago, and is said to be surviving off the “manna from heaven.”

The storyline adapted by Emma Donoghue, Alice Birch and Lelio from the critically acclaimed book by Donoghue, does a good job at capturing the essence of what made the original story great but much is lost in translation in this effort, perhaps a little too much.

“ Lelio’s ability to tell incredible stories with women is in full force here with Pugh perfectly embodying the directness and almost abrasive perspective that Lib carries in her life. It’s fact vs fiction, there’s no grayness in between.”

While Wright’s backstory is still teased enough to give us a sense of who she is much of her journey in Ireland is edited out. While some things, like her demeanor and attitude toward the Irish as an outsider seem like valid editions, her ability to figure out the mystery–or even her romance with journalist William Byrne (Tom Burke) feel incredibly rushed and racing through the natural progression at logic-defying speed.

That being said, the rest of the movie is a beauty to behold. Lelio’s ability to tell incredible stories with women is in full force here with Pugh perfectly embodying the directness and almost abrasive perspective that Lib carries in her life. It’s fact vs fiction, there’s no grayness in between. There are moments when Pugh explores the power of grief, the need to numb that pain that showcase just how powerful an actor she is and can be. It’s a pity that much of her recent work is being overtaken in the public sphere by the drama surrounding Don’t Worry Darling.

Lelio’s efforts remind of the skill he demonstrated in Fantastic Woman (less so than his effort on Gloria Bell.) The movie opens and closes with an artifact of Lelio’s choosing that challenges the audience to be more forgiving of the stories that others choose to believe, even when the fabrication is apparent. Where Lelio’s is far less forgiving is in his judgement of religion, coming down like a hammer on the suffering caused by those in charge.

Ultimately, The Wonder is a restrained, quiet exploration of the power of and the dangers posed by storytelling. Like Pugh discovers in this movie, there is no single arbiter of truth when lies become currency to keep us alive.