Wonder of Women is a total 1929 downer (in a good way)

If you have a Sunday afternoon with nothing to do and you don't mind feeling a bit bummed out, Wonder of Women is worth a look. It's for the people who like those old, heavy stories where everyone wears fancy clothes but is secretly miserable inside. 🎹

If you hate slow movies where people stare at pianos for five minutes, you should probably skip this one and find something like Wine, Women and Sauerkraut instead. This is definitely not a comedy.

The movie stars Lewis Stone as Yasha. He’s this big-shot German pianist who takes himself very seriously. Honestly, Lewis Stone always looks like he just smelled something slightly unpleasant, but it kind of works here. He has this very stiff way of sitting that makes you think he’s about to snap.

His wife, Brigitte, is played by Peggy Wood. She’s... a lot. She’s unfaithful and the whole marriage is basically a train wreck in slow motion. You can tell they aren't right for each other from the first five minutes they spend together on screen.

There is this one scene where they are sitting in a room and the silence is just heavy. It’s that weird 1929 transition period where the sound isn't quite right yet. It feels like they are waiting for a bus that’s never coming.

Yasha finally decides he's had enough of the cheating and the drama. He’s ready to pack his bags and just be done with it all. Finally, I thought. But then the movie throws a massive curveball.

He gets a message that his favorite stepchild has died. It’s such a gut punch. The way the scene is shot, with Yasha just holding this piece of paper, is probably the best part of the whole film. He doesn't even cry at first, he just looks hollow.

It reminds me a little bit of the vibe in Hail the Woman, where everything just feels a bit unfair. Life just keeps kicking these people when they are already down. It’s not exactly a fun time, but it feels real in a dramatic, old-fashioned way.

The kids in this movie are actually pretty good. Usually, child actors from this era make me want to cover my ears, but Wally Albright is decent. He doesn't do that weird over-acting thing you see in Little Mary Sunshine.

I noticed the lighting in the house is always really dark. Like, did they not have enough lightbulbs in 1929? It makes everything feel very claustrophobic, which I guess fits the mood of a failing marriage. 🕯️

Some of the scenes go on for way too long. There’s a bit with a concert that feels like it’s happening in real time. I get it, he’s a great pianist, but we don't need to see every single finger movement on the keys.

It’s funny how different this is from something like Naughty. This movie wants you to feel every single ounce of pain Yasha is going through. It’s very German in that way, even if it was made in Hollywood.

The dialogue is a bit clunky sometimes. People say things like "My heart is a cold stone" and you just have to roll with it. It’s just how they wrote back then. It’s not as snappy as His Wooden Wedding, that's for sure.

I found myself wondering about the stepchild plot point. It feels a bit manipulative, like the writers didn't know how to keep Yasha in the house so they just decided to kill off a kid. It’s a bit mean-spirited if you think about it too much.

But the ending... I won't spoil it, but it’s not exactly a sunshine-and-rainbows situation. It leaves you feeling a bit cold. I think that was the point, though.

If you’ve seen Three Sinners, you’ll recognize the same kind of "everything is going wrong" energy. It’s a specific mood for a specific kind of night. Maybe don't watch it if you're already feeling down.

There’s a weird cameo-style feel to some of the side characters. George Fawcett shows up and does his usual thing. He’s like the reliable uncle of 1920s cinema. You always know what you’re getting with him.

The costume design is actually pretty nice. Brigitte has some dresses that look incredibly uncomfortable but very expensive. It adds to the feeling that their life is all about appearances and no actual substance.

I kept thinking about Forgive and Forget while watching this. There’s a lot of talk about forgiveness here, but it feels much harder to actually do. It’s not just a word you say; it’s a whole process that Yasha isn't really ready for.

The print I saw was a bit grainy, which actually added to the atmosphere. It felt like watching a ghost story, but the ghosts are just people who stopped loving each other. 👻

One thing that bugged me was the pacing in the middle. It drags. Alot. I actually checked my watch during a scene where they were just walking through a garden. They could have cut about ten minutes out of that and nothing would have been lost.

It’s not as epic as something like Christopher Columbus, obviously. It’s a small, private tragedy. Sometimes those are more interesting than big historical stuff anyway.

I wonder if people in 1929 felt as awkward watching the talkie parts as I do now. The voices sound like they are coming from inside a tin can. It’s charming but also a little distracting when you're trying to take the death of a child seriously.

Overall, it’s a solid piece of melodrama. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s got some teeth. It makes you think about how much we owe to people we don't even like anymore.

If you're looking for something lighter, maybe try Beaches and Peaches. But if you want to sit in the dark and feel some big emotions, Yasha and his piano are waiting for you. 🎹💔

One last thing—the way they handle the grief is actually pretty mature for the time. It’s not all screaming and hair-pulling. It’s quiet and heavy. That stayed with me more than the actual plot did.