Movie Review: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women *** ½ / *****

Directed by: Angela Robinson.

Written by: Angela Robinson.

Starring: Luke Evans (William Moulton Marston), Rebecca Hall (Elizabeth Marston), Bella Heathcote (Olive Byrne), Connie Britton (Josette Frank), Monica Giordano (Mary), JJ Feild (Charles Guyette), Chris Conroy (Brant Gregory), Oliver Platt (M.C. Gaines).

 

It’s somewhat interesting that the reason why people will be interested in William Moulton Marston and his two loves – his wife Elizabeth, and their girlfriend Olive – is because he is the creator of Wonder Woman, and those two women and their relationship inspired him – is really almost an afterthought in the film Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. Afterthought may be a bit harsh, but it certainly is more beneath the surface than you would expect. If it wasn’t for the frustrating narrative device used throughout the film – and cutting back and forth between 1945, and the years preceding it, Wonder Woman wouldn’t come at all until very late in the film. That’s not a bad thing at all in this case, because it allows you see Wonder Woman emerge slowly out of this relationship. Too much of the rest of the film is too on the nose to be a truly great film, but I appreciated this part.

 

The film takes place in the years between 1928 and 1945. When it opens, William Marston (Luke Evans) is a Professor of Psychology at Radcliffe, trying to get his own theory – DISC (Dominance, Inducement, Submission and Compliance) to take (it never really does). His wife, Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall) is smarter than her husband, but has the handicap of being a woman – meaning even though she has done all the same work, she cannot get a PhD – and is basically stuck assisting her husband’s work. Between the two of them though, they make a great team – he’s charming and funny, she is more serious and smart. They do great work together. Into their lives enters Olive (Bella Heathcote), a young student who becomes their teaching assistant – helping them in their research. It’s clear from the start that William is attracted to her, but it becomes clear that all of them are attracted to each other. Eventually, they start living the type of life that many would still look down on today – and certainly would have at that time.

 

What makes the movie is the chemistry between the three leads. The film works best when it leaves them alone enough to engage in various flirtations, conversations – and eventually, sex scenes, that become gradually more kinky. The best scenes are probably the earlier ones, involving an early prototype of the lie detector machine. The trio use it to expose various truths about each other, in scenes that tense and erotic at the same time. These scenes are almost more sexual than the actual sex scenes when they come around.

 

The film is far from perfect. For the most part, I’m tired of the biopic cliché in which we flash back and forth in time – especially when the main subject of the film is in some sort of interview or interrogation looking back on their life (it worked in Phantom Thread, in part because it wasn’t a biopic, and in larger part, because they’ basically serve to make everything more idiosyncratic). Here, William is being interrogated by Josette Frank (Connie Britton) who wants to shut down Wonder Woman, because of all the sexuality and bondage in the seemingly innocent comic book character. It adds nothing to the film overall, and I think underlines everything about the relationship too much. The dialogue also is a little too on the nose as well – Evans at one point is about one step away from saying together, Olive and Rebecca ARE Wonder Woman.

 

And yet, overall, director Angela Robinson does a fine job exploring this unconventional relationship, and how it led to the creation of one of the most iconic and beloved of all superheroes. The film is also fun, funny, incredibly sexy, has three great performances, and looks great. What more do you want?