THE WONDER

Ireland, 2022, 108 minutes, Colour.

Florence Pugh, Kila Lord Cassidy, Tom Burke, Elaine Cassidy, Josie Walker, Caolan Byrne, Toby Jones, Dermot Crowley, Ciaran Hinds, Brian F.O'Byrne.

Directed by Sebastian Lelio.

An unusual choice for Chilean director, Sebastien Elio (Gloria, Fantastic Woman, Disobedience, Gloria Bell). This is an Irish story, set in 1862, after the famine, set in a remote Irish Midlands village. The screenplay was written by Emma Donaghue (who also wrote the novel and screenplay exploring the confinement of a mother and child, Room).

The screenplay takes us into the world of Irish Catholicism, piety and prayer, the domination of the parish priest, and a grim tradition of asceticism. An 11-year-old girl, Anna (Kiler Lord Cassidy, here acting with her mother portraying her film mother, Elaine Cassidy) has become something of a local wonder. She has not eaten for four months and is still surviving. People from roundabout come to visit her, amazement in faith.

There is a local board with a variety of interests, political, medical, ecclesiastical, hoping that Anna is a wonder but deciding to bring in an English nurse and an Irish nun to take eight hour shifts, closely watching and, taking notes, ensuring that all is authentic.

For the devout Irish, this is not impossible, God working in mysterious ways. For the sceptics, there is something wrong, there is some way in which the young girl is actually getting food to survive.

The nurse is played by Florence Pugh, frequently seen on screen these days in British productions as well as American, a very versatile actress. She takes her work seriously, watches over Anna, records her progress, but becomes increasingly wary, forbidding family contact with Anna, accompanying her on walks in the countryside, bonding, but realising that the young girl is actually dying. The local doctor, Toby Jones, continually puts the nurse down as merely a nurse. The parish priest, Ciaran Hinds, is of the old school of domination in God’s will. One member of the board is desperate that they have a local miracle.

The family cooperate but are critical, especially Anna’s mother. There is another factor, a reporter who grew up in the village (Tom Burke), sceptical, wanting to submit his article to the newspapers, attracted to the nurse, and her asking him to be complicit in the plan that she has for rescuing Anna and saving her life.

For audience curiosity about Anna and her situation, there is an explanation. And, there is a way that the nurse attempts to save Anna.

Well acted, sombre in look and tone, taking us back to a severe Ireland.

1. Visiting rural Ireland, 1862, post-famine? The Catholic Church and the religious dimensions? Severity, devotion, the miraculous?
2. The title, the focus on Anna, not eating for four months, miraculous, centre of devotion, small pilgrimages? The faith response? The sceptical response and questioning?
3. The countryside, harsh, the village, the home and interiors? The musical score?
4. The focus on Lib Grant? Her being employed by the Board? British? The filling in of her background, the death of her child and her grief? Her skills and reputation as a nurse? Her age, personality, reserved?
5. The board, elderly men, the British influence and presence, the political dimensions, the doctor and his possessiveness about his profession and reputation, the harshness of the parish priest, the sceptical presence, the member of the board and his wanting something miraculous? Their presence, high at the table, dominating? Making clear their demands on Mrs Grant, supervision at all times, eight hours rotation, and the presence of the nun? Aiming to prove that Anna was taking no food?
6. The household, Anna, 11, fragile, no food, refusing water, taking to her bed? Her mother, aunt, father? Their role in the household? The belief in their daughter? Their being forbidden any direct contact? The reactions? Interactions with Mrs Grant?
7. Mrs Grant, her concern, seeing that Anna was dying, her visits to the Board, the visit of the doctor, his criticisms of her, condemning her? The parish priest and his domination and religious motivation? Taking Anna for walks, bonding with her?
8. The character of Will Byrne, growing up in the village, going away to study, his return, personality, sceptical, writing the articles for the newspaper, the conversations with Mrs Grant? And the relationship with her, both of them needy for affection? His writing the article, the scepticism, the Board, the family?
9. Mrs Grant realising what it happened, her mother with the food in her mouth, kissing Anna, transferring the food? Mrs Grant going back to the Board, their condemnation of her?
10. Her enlisting Will’s help, the plan, taking Anna for the walk, the family at Church, persuading Anna by the water, that she had died, that she had new life, a new name, her drinking the water, the morsel of food?
11. The village thinking that Anna had died, disappeared?
12. The plan, taking Anna away to England, Will and Mrs Grant together, and the tickets for travelling to Australia?
13. The picture of Ireland, its suffering, beliefs, devotions, superstitions, harshness?