 |
| Timothy Spall as J.M.W Turner in Mr Turner |
Mike Leigh's biographical drama film, Mr Turner, won't appeal to all audiences with some aspects of his representation of the great British painter, J. W. M. Turner however it is nonetheless an impressive period work with an excellent cast and high production values.
The film is set in the last 25 years or so of Turner's life when he has long been established as an artist with fame, fortune and recognition as a popular if somewhat anarchic member of the Royal Academy of Arts. As the film progresses, Turner is shown sketching, painting, travelling to picturesque locations, staying as a guest with the aristocracy, visiting a brothel to do some sketch work, being strapped to a ship's mast to view a snowstorm and awkwardly navigating relationships with lovers, his housekeeper and children with very limited success. Leigh's objective with the film was to show not only the brilliance of Turner but also the man himself as a very flawed and awkward person seeking to distill, in an almost spiritual form, the world as represented in his paintings.
Timothy Spall gives a strong performance as Turner (for which he received the best actor award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival), Dorothy Atkinson portrays his housekeeper, Hannah Danby (with minimal dialogue but many long takes showing various expressions), Paul Jesson is William Turner, the much beloved father and Marion Bailey is the widow Sophia Booth with whom Turner spends his last years.
The film's has several strong points: the clever linkages between painting scenes and specific Turner paintings orients the viewer to Turner's works; the scripting of the film is 19th Century without the error of slipping into 20th/21st Century dialogue which comprises many other period set films. The weak elements of the film provide some obvious flaws: Turner is portrayed as mainly grunting rather than responding in speech to other characters; there is an overstated drabness to most settings and clothes which reflects more the director's bias than reality. Overall the film is a positive experience and well worth a cinema ticket.
The film is set in the last 25 years or so of Turner's life when he has long been established as an artist with fame, fortune and recognition as a popular if somewhat anarchic member of the Royal Academy of Arts. As the film progresses, Turner is shown sketching, painting, travelling to picturesque locations, staying as a guest with the aristocracy, visiting a brothel to do some sketch work, being strapped to a ship's mast to view a snowstorm and awkwardly navigating relationships with lovers, his housekeeper and children with very limited success. Leigh's objective with the film was to show not only the brilliance of Turner but also the man himself as a very flawed and awkward person seeking to distill, in an almost spiritual form, the world as represented in his paintings.
Timothy Spall gives a strong performance as Turner (for which he received the best actor award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival), Dorothy Atkinson portrays his housekeeper, Hannah Danby (with minimal dialogue but many long takes showing various expressions), Paul Jesson is William Turner, the much beloved father and Marion Bailey is the widow Sophia Booth with whom Turner spends his last years.
The film's has several strong points: the clever linkages between painting scenes and specific Turner paintings orients the viewer to Turner's works; the scripting of the film is 19th Century without the error of slipping into 20th/21st Century dialogue which comprises many other period set films. The weak elements of the film provide some obvious flaws: Turner is portrayed as mainly grunting rather than responding in speech to other characters; there is an overstated drabness to most settings and clothes which reflects more the director's bias than reality. Overall the film is a positive experience and well worth a cinema ticket.
Timothy Spall is a real actor in my eyes . .alongside Bill Nighy and Jim Broadbent
ReplyDelete