Woman in Gold
Starring:
Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Katie Holmes, Daniel Bruhl
Director:
Simon Curtis
Written By:
Alexi Kaye Campbell (with consultation of Randol Shoenberg)
Rated M 109 minutes
Look I think it needs to be said; the Nazis weren’t very
nice people. Oh sure the uniforms were nicely designed and cut, the swastika
was a neat little device albeit a corruption of what it originally represented
and their architectural style was impressive if a bit severe and stark. But
let’s face it they had their failings. Apart from being murderous bastards,
anti-Semitic pricks and non-respecters of sovereign borders they were also
thieving mongrels. No not very nice at all. Sorry if that offends but I’m
putting it out there.
Witness the story of Maria Altman whose aunty Adele was the
subject of a painting by Gustav Klimt in his famous ‘Portrait of Adele
Bloch-Bauer I and II’. These and three other paintings were family treasures
pilfered by the Nazis and then ‘acquired’ post war by the Austrian government,
declared national treasures and proudly
displayed at the Belvedere in Vienna ne’er to be removed let alone returned to
the family of Adele let alone . It would only be a matter of time sure before
the family would seek reparation for or maybe even repatriation to the arguably
rightful owner.
‘Woman in Gold’ takes up the story of the legal fight for
Maria to be reunited with the painting of her aunt and to regain possession of
it. Although the other four works aren’t given much of a run in the film (they
were bequeathed to nieces and nephews but also held by the Austrians) the case
must have been monumental and this all gives the film a terrific story to tell.
We are shown flashbacks from the war years to fill in the backstory and is
effective and affecting.
Helen Mirren plays Maria and she is a little cheeky,
occasionally brusque but mostly determined. I am a huge fan of hers but I felt
in this role she was too sharp, too well rehearsed and too ‘actorly’. I never
felt for most of the film that she hadn’t mapped out exactly how she would play
a scene, how she would say the lines, which way she’d turn her head or curl her
lip, drop a shoulder a bit here, 
The film also
stars Ryan Reynolds as Randol Schoenberg the young lawyer who takes on the huge
and intimidating Maria and the case itself. He is convincing and charmingly sheepish, you feel for him in his frustrations and you silently cheer him on even when his marriage and career look to be in strife because of his dedication to an outcome for Maria and posthumously for Adele. I many have only seen Reynolds in one film before (yes, I know he has done many including an action film or two), I think he did really well in this.
Great supporting roles from Katie Holmes as Reynold's wife, actually she's terrific and Daniel Bruhl as Hubertus Czernin. Daniel is building up a portfolio of British Dames after working with Dench, Smith and now Mirren, surely a musical with Dame Julie Andrews next?
The film is well directed by Simon Curtis (gee he does lovely films doesn't he?) and Vienna stars as much as the humans, it is shown off very nicely and it's not all the 'pretty photo spot' places that feature but some of the lesser known or less frequently filmed areas. There is a nice short scene near the Holocaust Memorial that made me all gooey.
I liked this film a lot and really found the story fascinating. I had remembered the saga of the Klimts being fought over but only in those terms and not so much about Maria Altman and the Bloch Bauer's. It's a fairly recent story (I think Maria only passed away in this decade) so my dim memory didn't have to surface too hard to remind me. I have to say there is some teeth clenching dialogue though but overall the script serves the film well although opportunities are missed to explore the morality or maybe conundrum of the whole art restitution process. Bearing in mind Adele's own dying wishes that the painting not leave Austria let alone the family this saga was fraught in many ways as it probably has been for all families/beneficiaries. In the end this film may not have been designed to explore all the intricacies/vagaries. There were many gaps and truth stretching in 'Monuments Men' for instance but it was only telling part of a rather incredible story. I think that's ok isn't it? In the end these are films, a version of a true story but not a documentary. I doubt we have ever seen the 'true' and 'full' story of Henry VIII so...
My reservations over Helen's performance detracted from me having a consummate experience but I do recommend it to you.
And raise a middle finger at those nasty Nazis while you're at it.
3 ½ out of 5
Great supporting roles from Katie Holmes as Reynold's wife, actually she's terrific and Daniel Bruhl as Hubertus Czernin. Daniel is building up a portfolio of British Dames after working with Dench, Smith and now Mirren, surely a musical with Dame Julie Andrews next?
The film is well directed by Simon Curtis (gee he does lovely films doesn't he?) and Vienna stars as much as the humans, it is shown off very nicely and it's not all the 'pretty photo spot' places that feature but some of the lesser known or less frequently filmed areas. There is a nice short scene near the Holocaust Memorial that made me all gooey.
I liked this film a lot and really found the story fascinating. I had remembered the saga of the Klimts being fought over but only in those terms and not so much about Maria Altman and the Bloch Bauer's. It's a fairly recent story (I think Maria only passed away in this decade) so my dim memory didn't have to surface too hard to remind me. I have to say there is some teeth clenching dialogue though but overall the script serves the film well although opportunities are missed to explore the morality or maybe conundrum of the whole art restitution process. Bearing in mind Adele's own dying wishes that the painting not leave Austria let alone the family this saga was fraught in many ways as it probably has been for all families/beneficiaries. In the end this film may not have been designed to explore all the intricacies/vagaries. There were many gaps and truth stretching in 'Monuments Men' for instance but it was only telling part of a rather incredible story. I think that's ok isn't it? In the end these are films, a version of a true story but not a documentary. I doubt we have ever seen the 'true' and 'full' story of Henry VIII so...
My reservations over Helen's performance detracted from me having a consummate experience but I do recommend it to you.
And raise a middle finger at those nasty Nazis while you're at it.
3 ½ out of 5
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