Skip to main content

REVIEW: "Wuthering Heights"(2026)

GENRE: Drama
DIRECTOR: Emerald Fennell
WRITER: Emerald Fennell
STARRING: Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, Ewan Mitchell, Owen Cooper and Charlotte Mellington

"Wuthering Heights" might well be one of my favorite novels of all time, not only because it features a dark yet beautiful narrative, but also two of the most depicable characters in literary history - but Emerald Fennell's take on the classic only covers the first half (Cathy and Heathcliff's story) and she twists things a little (a lot) bit! I don't consider myself a book puritan when it comes to novel-film adaptations and while I appreaciated the audacity of Fennell's vision, the final result felt more lukewarm than daring actually. Don't take me wrong: there's plenty to praise in Wuthering Heights, but there's also plenty to criticize.
Emerald Fennell has always showed a crave for an edgy approaches about human nature (from thirst for revenge and toxic masculinity in Promising Young Woman to repressed sexuality and envy in Saltburn) in worlds of vibrant colors and catchy songs - and Wuthering Heights is no exception. The writer/director ripes every nuance of Heathcliff and Catherine's romance and turns it into a tale of feverish looks, consummated passion, sin and sexual liberation in a steamy handling of such refined literary material (one scene in particular where Cathy expresses her sexual impulses in front of everyone by putting her finger inside a fish mouth was so well done!). It's almost like Emerald Fennell did some choices in order to make a movie worth of social media clickbait by delivering beautiful visuals and by avoiding the unconfortable nuance that define the source material. The question is: is Fennell underestimating the audiences' ability to perceive and digest complex material or does she ACTUALLY know the audience? The thing is... Wuthering Heights never quite catches fire and it also fails to reach the dramatic and soulful heights of the novel - it wanted to be everything but ended-up being almost something, but never fully something! Why? My take is: miscast leads that deliver a love story that belongs to a music video instead of a feature film!
Casting two of the most good looking people in Hollywood as Cathy and Heathcliff seems like a safe play: Linus Sandgren's camera loves them; they will draw audiences; they look good in every costume; and they are both proven actors both Oscar nominated actors. The thing is: the chemistry is just not there and you can see they both try to sell the romance. Margot Robbie is fine as Cathy, but she lacks the fiery essence and the mysterious aura that would invite a reader (an audience member in this case) to fall in love for her. Jacob Elordi's Heathcliff might be Hollywood's latest case of whitewashing, but the actor fully conveys the twisted nature, the burning desire for vengeance for years of endured abuse and the dirty sexual impulses that drive his actions, but Fennell's script reduces him to a doomed romantic lead and never gives him space to explore Heathcliff dubious motives, his cruelty and his truly evil nature. Plus, I felt no authentic spark between Robbie and Elordi - everything felt pretty much staged with the exception of their early scenes. I feel only Hong Chau and (specially) Allison Oliver were able to elevate their thin-written characters above the paper and theirs are some of the movie's best moments.
Still, there are elements that do impress here. The overstylized sets and costumes specially when Cathy Earnshaw becomes Mrs. Linton are not only beautiful and impressive but they assume an interesting narrative function as a projection of a grandiose lifestyle that is full of material pretty things but lack essence (in a style over substance), making you see Cathy's fairytale narrative actually feels empty, contrasting with her life in the heights embracing nature - and that's why her scene to walk the path as a bride also hits differently after you watch the movie since it feels like a funeral and it symbolizes the death of her essence. The gowns are beautiful and the way Linus Sandgren captures the light and shadows, the way he uses color here (the red sky when Heathcliff leaves is just amazing) and the way he photographs Robbie and Elordi's faces (making you believe they might be the most beutiful human beings who ever walked Earth)... breathtaking shots! As for Charlie XCX's songs... they are good but Fennell doesn't them well, making them fell short.
Still, I must praise the "Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I can not live without my life! I can not live without my soul!” take... a more romantic approach to a dark passage that actually fits the film beautifully. I wish Fennell could have been more inspired with certain parts like she was with the ending.
Cathy and Heathcliff belong in the heights, but Emerald Fennell kills them by making them prisoners in her overstuffed movie with plenty of elements to admire but few elements to love, never letting their passionate essence flourish. Wuthering Heights feels superficial in its core since it never embraces the source novel's lyricism and hidden messages AND it also fails to ignite the screen... it's a shy ember that never fully burns.
Beautiful to look at - a material girl's film.

RATING: 5/10 

Oscar potential categories:
  • Best Cinematography
  • Best Production Design
  • Best Costume Design
  • Best Makeup & Hair

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TOP 35 Actors and Actresses Under 35 Working Today - 2017

The almost annual TOP 35 Actors and Actresses Under 35 Working Today is out, with me considering the performers' performances of 2016 also. We have a few changes since last year's list, with Greta Gerwig toping the list thanks to her last 3 great performances in Mistress America , Maggie's Plan and the Oscar buzzy acting turn in 20th Century Women . Scarlett Johansson comes second with her latest distinguished performance being in 2014 ( Under the Skin ), but she managed to be at the spotligh this year thanks to her fine turns in critically acclaimed movies: Hail, Caesar! , Captain America: Civil War , The Jungle Book (voice) and Sing (voice). Emily Blunt adds another great performance to her resume in The Girl on the Train and she comes third, while Elle Fanning 's turning into one of the finest actresses and she's getting to play more adult and complex parts like The Neon Demon  and 20th Century Women 's (her two best performances since Super 8 ). Finall...
1 comment
Read more

TOP 10 Most Promising Movie Actors (under 30)

Today I discussed about how awful some "teen icons" are and then we talked about some exceptions. So, I decided to make a little list, a TOP 10, with the male actors that I think that will become music in an ocean of noise somewhere in the future (I did one list before, but it was a little bit pathetic and I didn't justify my choices). Let's start... 1 - Ryan Gosling He may not have a huge list of movies in his body of work, but the few times he makes something, all the time he almost carries the movie. In fact, Gosling is a proof that talent does exist and that you don't need excentrical characters to receive raves. He rose to fame after the big screen adaptation of The Notebook (2004) and then received lots of critical praise for his performances in movies like Half Nelson (that gave him an Oscar, a SAG Award and other major awards nominations), Lars and the Real Girl (that gave him a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and other major awards nominations) and Fractur...
Post a Comment
Read more

REVIEW: "The Secret Agent" / "O Agente Secreto"

Genre: Drama; Comedy; Thriller; Crime Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho Writer: Kleber Mendonça Filho Starring: Wagner Moura, Alice Carvalho, Gabriel Leone, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Isabél Zuaa, Udo Kier and Tânia Maria I was fortunate for having Kleber Mendonça Filho presenting the film himself in my session, because he recalled some aspects of the movie he wanted the audience to be aware of: this movie represents an act of resistance and an ode to the importance of the press and cultural spaces (like a theatre) as powerful weapons against authoritarian regimes. So, The Secret Agent is actually some kind of parable about acts of resistance in the form of a political thriller - it's a slow burning film that is smartly balanced with truly funny comedic scenes and some moments of pure human joy that show the movie's true heart beneath its disguise - it's more of a satire to a corrupt system than a manhunt film. It's some kind of cinematic marvel in its own right. The story ...
Post a Comment
Read more