If you’re in the lead in an Oscar race for a superior performance, there are things you don’t want as interference.
The main thing is the release during Oscar voting of a real stinker in which you star. It could kill your chances.
Luckily, for Jessie Buckley, “The Bride!” is dropping just as Oscar voting for “Hamnet” closes tomorrow night. Just in the ick of time.
“The Bride!” — directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal with an all star cast — is being eviscerated by reviewers. Buckley leads a cast featuring Christian Bale, Peter Sarsgard, Jake Gyllenhaal, Penelope Cruz, and Annette Bening.
The movie is teetering on ‘rotten’ on Rotten Tomatoes with only 60% from critics. The positive reviews are stretching to call “The Bride!” inventive, but the negative ones are startling.
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times: “The Bride!” is a maniacal assemblage of ’30s musicals, ’40s noirs, 19th century literature and 21st century ideology. Every wacky second, you’re well aware how perilously close it is to falling apart at the seams.
Owen Glieberman, Variety: It’s like “Joker 2” starring a grunge version of the Munsters, with dollops of “Sid and Nancy” and “Natural Born Killers.” Except that the movie doesn’t move.
The writing was on the wall when Warner Bros. marketing used quotes from bloggers, not critics from established venues, in their ads.
What happened? Maggie Gyllenhaal is certainly talented, but sometimes projects roll out of control and there’s nothing you can do to right the ship. This seems like it falls into that category.
As for Jessie Buckley, she’s safe as the lead actress most likely to win the Oscar — and hope that no one sees “The Bride!” before the voting deadline!
