Sebastián Leilo’s The Wonder is a somber, better-than-decent, glacially-paced period drama.
Set in rural Ireland of 1862, it’s about a struggle between the oppression of strict Irish Catholic dogma vs. a woman’s common humanity. I respected the effort, and certainly admired Florence Pugh’s performance as a willful, Florence Nightingale-trained nurse. Perfect period sets. All the supporting perfs pass muster.
For me the standout visual element is the raw Irish countryside, and particularly those 16 or 17 shots of Pugh trudging across said terrain. After the sixth or seventh shot I was reminded of that magnificent 2009 Johnnie Walker commercial with Robert Carlyle (i.e., “The Walk”)…5 & 1/2 minutes, a single tracking shot upon a gravel path in rural Scotland, brilliant choreography, a legend in the annals of advertising.