"Ever Wonder?" is the catchline from the recently released film Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. I didn't wonder too much, because I was vaguely familiar with the backstory of comic book heroine Wonder Woman. It somewhat a sordid affair. The film Professor Marston and the Wonder Women recounts the story of Wonder Woman through the recollections of Professor Marston, who is being questioned by a "decency standards" group about the bondage and violence in his comic strip. The story should be shocking and interesting. In reality, it was a bit boring.
Psychologist William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans) was a professor of psychology at Radcliffe College at Harvard University. His wife, Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall) assisted him with his classes and studies. Possibly the brains of the operation. Marston developed an idea called DISC, which never gained any traction. He and Elizabeth also invented one element of the modern polygraph test, primarily through Elizabeth's input. The device measured systolic blood pressure to determine deception. The duo became entangled romantically with a student, Olive Byrne (Bella Heathcote). They engaged in polyamory, resulting in Olive's pregnancy and the firing of Marston and his wife from the college. The film imagines the familial struggles in a non-traditional family during a much more pious time period. It is out of these relationships that Marston draws his inspiration for the comic book hero, Wonder Woman. His infusion of kink and violence into the storyboards became a source of public reaction. It is in an interview with one of these public groups that Marston tells his story, which is the story of Wonder Woman.
Politics aside, I found Professor Marston and the Wonder Women to be a milquetoast story. Okay, so you had a professor from a liberal college engaged in polyamory nearly 100 years ago. Unique. Anachronistic. Difficult. Those difficulties are mostly glossed over, with only a modest examination of the external pressures. That's okay, if the internal struggles are well developed. I thought that the characters had a decent amount of depth, but the story as a whole just felt flat. I wasn't moved by it. I wasn't connected to the characters. They weren't endearing to me. It was all sort of sterile. And boring. There wasn't much of an apex and the ending was sappy. In fact, one of the climactic scenes was just silly. It seems like this story could have been rendered more deftly. The only work I have seen from Writer/Director Angela Robinson was the True Blood series, which I really liked. But she whiffed with this film.
I've seen Luke Evans in a few films. He doesn't do much for me. He is not one of those actors who is memorable. Or at least his roles have not been memorable for me. Add this one to the list. Rebecca Hall was the highlight of this film for me. I like her, and she did not disappoint me. Bella Heathcote, like Luke Evans, is forgettable. In this film and any others I have seen her in. I looked at her film history and was surprised that she has been in several shows/films I liked. I honestly can't remember her. This film didn't do anything to help that. The chemistry between the three actors seemed okay, but Hall drove most of the emotion in this film. Her credibility anchored the acting. Okay, maybe I was a bit harsh on Evans and Heathcote. But their performances just didn't move me.
Ultimately, the question I have to ask myself is "would I recommend this film?" That's always the question with a movie review. It is films like this that drive me nuts. As a fan of Wonder Woman, I really wanted this film to be great. But it was slow. The pacing was irritating. The characters did not connect with me or draw out any emotion. The film touched on some issues, but never really explored them. It felt very superficial at times. Almost like "you have to like this film because it has political themes...so I'm not really going to try..." It's an interesting story. It just isn't told well. If you are bored to tears and this is streaming for free, go for it. But I can only give it a modest recommendation. 5.5/10.
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