I am trying to remember the last movie I saw that was as artistically wonderful as ‘The Wonder’(2022). Its as if the director Sebastian Lelio and the cinematographer Ari Wegner were handed a canvas with all shades of brown and few specks of green and blue; and they painted a story that viewers shall remember for a long time.
Plotline
Set in the Irish Midlands in 1862, “The Wonder” follows Lib Wright, an English nurse renowned for her unwavering rationality. She’s summoned to a remote village to observe Anna O’Donnell, an eleven-year-old girl who has allegedly survived without food for four months. The devoutly religious community sees Anna’s survival as a miracle, a testament to her piety.
Lib is tasked with conducting daily observations of Anna, working in shifts with a local nun. Their mission is to determine the truth behind this extraordinary claim. As Lib meticulously monitors Anna, she becomes increasingly skeptical of the “miracle.” Anna appears frail but strangely serene, reciting religious platitudes and insisting she lives on “manna from heaven.”
A journalist, William Byrne, arrives in the village, intrigued by Anna’s story. He and Lib develop a connection as they both grapple with the seemingly inexplicable situation. Lib’s scientific mind clashes with the fervent faith of the villagers and Anna’s family, who are fiercely protective of their “holy” child.
Driven by her concern for Anna’s deteriorating health, Lib begins to suspect foul play. She notices subtle inconsistencies and senses a hidden truth beneath the surface of religious fervor. Her investigation leads her down a path of uncovering long-held secrets and the devastating consequences of blind faith and manipulation. Ultimately, Lib must decide how far she’s willing to go to save Anna from the dangerous grip of belief and reveal the human reality behind the supposed miracle.
Many things to love
The story of the wonder girl who has probably discovered the fountain of youth inspires interest from the start, even though the movie is extremely slow paced and is shot in select 4-5 locations. There is only some glimpse of bright colours in the climax scene, but the rest of the movie is mostly just Mrs.Lib and Anna shouldering each other in the attic of Anna’s modest home. I wondered where they’ll take the story – because it could obviously not be magic, and there was no scope for some kind of out-worldly suspense to unfold given the setup.
(Little bit of a spoiler ahead)
The reveal was an extremely impressive part of the movie. The writers have done a phenomenal job with the back-story to Anna’s ‘wonder element’ and garbed it with religious dimensions to the extent of Anna herself internalizing her abuse and suffering. Mrs. Lib, the rationalist, has a massive challenge in hand and is forced to display more morality and righteousness than the men of God who had appointed her to watch Anna. The story has a heart warming climax, but I wouldn’t have been too disappointed if it did not – because the intensity of the theme of ‘The Wonder’ would have been better conveyed with a tragic climax. But hey, I’m not complaining. The movie is a good one on all levels.
For some reason, The Wonder has relatively low rating on IMDB and I’m guessing its because the mainstream cinematic appeal is missing from the movie. You’ll need quite a bit of patience to sit through the 1.45 hours long film and truly appreciate the nuances of its cinematography, alongside the depth of the story. Just a small negative – I did not see the point of Kitty being the narrator and the set reveal transition at the beginning and the end. The movie could have done just as well without them; but a negligible negative anyways. My sister recommended this movie to me and I’m happy I obliged. ‘The Wonder’ is a memorable movie that I’ll most likely come back to.
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