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I hadn't seen any of Jennifer Beals' early films when I first watched THE BRIDE a few years ago. From her more recent work (FOUR ROOMS, THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY and now THE L WORD), I know she is a first-rate actress, but didn't know what to expect from her beginning work (I still have to see FLASHDANCE.) Though I've read critics' reviews panning this film, I think THE BRIDE is quite good and deserving of the regard other "undiscovered" or "underground" films receive.

The story is straightforward enough: The infamous mad scientist Frankenstein creates a mate for his "monster" (whom will later be named Viktor). Things go wrong, however and Eva is left at the hands of Dr. Frankenstein (Viktor having run off when fire breaks out in the lab). Frankenstein (played to irritatingly perfect pompousness by Sting) has Eva all to himself and attempts to make her into a "proper lady."

The plot is not the main reason to watch this endearing movie, though it definitely keeps your interest with the main plot and the storyline involving Viktor after he flees the fire and meets up with a wonderful character played by David Rappaport. No, the real reason to watch is in the little touches, whether it be the memorable scene where Eva (played with incredible innocence and searching curiousity by Jennifer Beals) snarls at a cat during her first outing at a fancy dinner to meet the "important" people or the tender friendship between Viktor and Rinaldo.

I don't want to reveal too much about where the movie goes but it does a surprisingly good job of capturing universal themes such as loneliness and searching for one's own roots. A big plus in its favor is that it comes closer to the original intent of Mary Shelley's novel than the old Hollywood versions and reminds us that Shelley's novel was never really about scary horror but the horrors in our fellow humans' behavior and our own isolation.