Professor Marston & the Wonder Women

Name: Professor Marston & the Wonder Women
Genre: Biography, Drama
Released: October 13, 2017
Duration: 108 min
Rating: 68
Cast: Acei Martin, Alexa Havins, Allie Gallerani, Allie Marshall, Bella Heathcote

2017

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 76 Ratings

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6.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 76 Ratings

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Professor Marston & The Wonder Women (NY Comic Con Trailer)

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Movie Details & Credits

Annapurna Pictures | Release Date: October 13, 2017 | R

Starring: Acei Martin, Alexa Havins, Allie Gallerani, Allie Marshall, Bella Heathcote, Chris Conroy, Christopher Paul Richards, Connie Britton, JJ Feild, Luke Evans, Maggie Castle, Monica Giordano, Oliver Platt, Pamela Figueiredo Wilcox, Rebecca Hall, Shawn Contois

Summary: In a superhero origin tale unlike any other, the film is the incredible true story of what inspired Harvard psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans) to create the iconic Wonder Woman character in the 1940's. While Marston's feminist superhero was criticized by censors for her 'sexual perversity', he was keeping a secret thatIn a superhero origin tale unlike any other, the film is the incredible true story of what inspired Harvard psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans) to create the iconic Wonder Woman character in the 1940's. While Marston's feminist superhero was criticized by censors for her 'sexual perversity', he was keeping a secret that could have destroyed him. Marston's muses for the Wonder Woman character were his wife Elizabeth Marston (Rebecca Hall) and their lover Olive Byrne (Bella Heathcote), two empowered women who defied convention: working with Marston on human behavior research -- while building a hidden life with him that rivaled the greatest of superhero disguises.… Expand

Director: Angela Robinson

Genre(s): Biography, Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 108 min

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Critic Reviews

Manohla Dargis

Oct 12, 2017

A sly and thoroughly charming Trojan horse of a movie. Read full review

The Film Stage Jared Mobarak

Sep 16, 2017

While Robinson’s film does fall into the usual trappings of biopic beats, its subject can’t help but transcend them. Read full review

April Wolfe

Oct 12, 2017

The most exceptional element of Professor Marston and the Wonder Women might actually be its comforting, radical normalcy. Read full review

IndieWire Kate Erbland

Sep 16, 2017

Evans, Hall, and Heathcote exhibit major chemistry (in every permutation) possible, but they also don’t wink at the storyline, playing a provocative story totally straight. Read full review

Deborah Young

Sep 16, 2017

Many rough edges are smoothed by the strong acting and well-done tech work. Read full review

Gary Thompson

Oct 12, 2017

As usual, Hall is awesome. She has an effortless way of projecting ferocious female intellect, and we see why her character captivates Byrne. When Hall is on screen, the movie works. Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Sep 16, 2017

As well as showcasing the blandest and most tasteful three-way sex scene in history, this movie spreads an odd pall of sentimentality and period-glow nostalgia over a fascinating real-life story. Read full review

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User Reviews

tom9999

Feb 5, 2018

Bad reviews are clearly from religious people who are offended by the subject matter and the real origin of wonder woman. It's a steamy story for sure and obviously some can't handle it. Just like the professor and the women was looked down upon back in the day. But for open minded people,Bad reviews are clearly from religious people who are offended by the subject matter and the real origin of wonder woman. It's a steamy story for sure and obviously some can't handle it. Just like the professor and the women was looked down upon back in the day. But for open minded people, this is a great movie… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

Proteus

Oct 16, 2017

Two girls and a guy all fall in love with each other. They manage to pull it off. Over decades.The X rated story would be fun to see. Yes people would like more details about the sex they were having. And the real dynamics of this long term threesome.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

GreatMartin

Oct 13, 2017

“Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” is a smart, quiet, beautiful, exciting and, in many ways, educational in a good way.

I never heard of William Marston before seeing this movie and I learned that not only did he and his wife Elizabeth discover the early prototype of the lie detector“Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” is a smart, quiet, beautiful, exciting and, in many ways, educational in a good way.

I never heard of William Marston before seeing this movie and I learned that not only did he and his wife Elizabeth discover the early prototype of the lie detector but they also created the systolic blood pressure test. She was a graduate of Harvard, his equal in every way. Professor Marston was not only a psychiatrist but he would eventually become the comic book writer and originator of Wonder Woman. Marston, along with research by Elizabeth, come up with the theory of DISC that stated all human behavior can be either dominance, inducement, submission or compliance, either each by themselves or variations, combinations of all 4.

Actually with all this that is not what the film is really about but about a student in in the class he teaches at Radcliffe where his wife is an observer. As soon as he sees a new student, Olive Bryne, whose aunt is Margaret Sanger and her mother left her in a convent school to devote her life fighting for women’s suffrage, becomes infatuated with her. She becomes the husband and wife’s graduate assistant with Elizabeth and William falling in love with her and she falling in love with them.

To say any more than that they start a life together would give away too much of the film. They are all strong, independent thinkers who look at all aspects of their relationship to make a success of the life they want to lead under the eyes of the society of the 1930s and 1940s let alone for years after. In today’s world they would be just as vilified if found out.

The film opens with children and their parents burning copies of Wonder Woman comics and then segues into Marston being interrogated by psychologist Josette Frank of the Child Study Association of America not only about his living conditions but about all the perversion in the Wonder Women series from B & D, S & M, homosexuality between women to use of ropes, leather and other accruements of the sexual world.

“Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” is rated R for strong sexual content including language and brief graphic images. If you are expecting a porno film, sorry but this is not it. The brief images last about 2-3 minutes showing William, Elizabeth and Olive experiencing the sexual aspect of their love with very little nudity and not any frontal nudity. Yes, there is a scene in a Greenwich Village specialty shop that delves into various possibilities of how people can experience love and or sex.

The Director-screenwriter Angela Robinson does superb work in both categories and certainly deserves recognition when award time rolls around.

Talking about awards Rebecca Hall, as Elizabeth Marston, can give a look or say a word that would stop anyone in their tracks and gives a not to be forgotten performance. Bella Heathcote, as the young, sparkling, bright, blond student equals Hall’s performance in a different way. Luke Evans, as Professor Marston, has to work hard to keep up with the women and he does. All 3 give indelible performances.

In supporting roles Connie Britton as Josette Frank, JJFeild as the owner of the specialty shop along with Oliver Platt as Marston’s editor hold their own in a movie filled with excellent performances all around.

Angela Robinson’s screenplay covers a lot of territory including many unconventional subjects without demeaning the characters, the story or the audience.

“Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” is a must see movie which, in many ways, is as relevant today as it was at the time the picture takes place.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

ComandanteCobra

Apr 8, 2018

Good Movie, different from what i was expecting. It's about the life of W.Women creator, his Wife and his Live in Partner. Most of the screen time is about the life of the three protagonists and how the society reacts to their's unconventional private life choices, Holloway and MoultonGood Movie, different from what i was expecting. It's about the life of W.Women creator, his Wife and his Live in Partner. Most of the screen time is about the life of the three protagonists and how the society reacts to their's unconventional private life choices, Holloway and Moulton psycological discoveries and their's improving of the Lie-detector, their's polyamorous relationship and sexual fantasies. All of this topics contribuited to the birth and development of the comic book character. Good acting, lots of sub-plots, the part about their's sexual tendecies is described with good taste and without prejudices.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Apr 11, 2019

Enfin un bon film sur les super-héros mais surtout sur la toute première super-héroïne... Peut-être parce qu'il ne s'agit pas d'un film bien formaté et bien lisse (et bien con) comme toutes les productions DC et Marvel, et peut-être (et sûrement) parce qu'il n'est vraiment... mais vraimentEnfin un bon film sur les super-héros mais surtout sur la toute première super-héroïne... Peut-être parce qu'il ne s'agit pas d'un film bien formaté et bien lisse (et bien con) comme toutes les productions DC et Marvel, et peut-être (et sûrement) parce qu'il n'est vraiment... mais vraiment pas politiquement correct !

Cela dit, on pourra reprocher au film un côté encore assez lisse tout de même dans cette partie (fine) à trois, ce triolisme plein de bonne humeur mais aussi assez rempli d'une guimauve certaine... avec la petite musique typique des biographies de ce genre d'ailleurs.

Mais en tout cas, cette histoire du créateur de Wonder Woman (et de ses "wonder women") dépasse la fiction et il faut voir les planches de l'époque que nous montre le film pour y croire, des planches censurées depuis 1947, car évidemment des fessées, de la soumission et du bondage, ça fait un peu désordre dans des publications destinées, faut-il le rappeler, à nos chères têtes blondes...

Quoi qu'il en soit, un beau film sur le féminisme et sur cet homme, premier de cordée, qui aura fait beaucoup pour la cause féministe, même si en se plaçant de son point de vue, n'importe quel gars (de nos jours du moins) signerait immédiatement... pour la cause féministe (et accessoirement saphique).

L'acteur et les actrices sont excellents, du reste, et la mise en scène est assurément soignée. Malgré ses allures parfois pompeuses (ou emphatiques je veux dire...) le film est souvent drôle dans sa délicate perversité et fort bien construit : un gazon non pas maudit mais béni, heureux homme et ses Wonder Women !… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Jan 17, 2018

Consider it a perfect accompaniment to last year's success of Wonder Woman and you should really watch it because it is a good film in which their actors deliver a solid job and an engaging drama. Bit slow in some passanges but nothing critical.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

KingDonald

Oct 16, 2017

Of late there have been plenty of stories revealing that Hollywood and the entertainment industry is full of perverts, and this film shows that it has been a cesspool of moral filth for a long, long time.

2 of 16 users found this helpful214

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