Possession

Rating:
Summary: a good movie, a better book
Review: Sprinkle determined research on scattered Victorian clues to reveal riches that resonate, if thinly, in the lives of the searchers. Passion, repression, love in its varigated combinations, risk and loss, mirrored in letters, diaries, poems, in the past and in the present, all knit by genes running true to type. The book is a masterpiece. The movie will help you get through it and is enjoyable on its own.

Rating:
Summary: Not perfect, of course, but good.
Review: Movies adapted from books are rarely as good as the actual books, and this is no exception. However, I liked this movie, and consider it to be one of the best movies I've seen this year. Poignant, romantic, and visually stunning, this story of love among scholars and poets ought to win at least a few awards.

Of course, things were left out to fit the book into a movie format. Characters such as Val, Leonora, and Beatrice Nest are absent, since the subplots involving them would have made the movie forbiddingly long. (Not to me--but I'm a weirdo who thinks there ought to be more four-hour movies with intermissions.) A sadder omission is that most of the writing painstakingly invented by Byatt for her characters is lost. Again, though, I understand why this had to be done. Most audiences wouldn't sit still for a movie where people just sat around and read poetry. The only omission that actually hurt the movie (as opposed to just being a little sad) is that some of the detective work is glossed over. People would just suddenly, randomly KNOW where they needed to go to find the next clue, without doing all the digging the book characters did. For example, why on earth would Cropper and Fergus know to look in Sophie de Kercoz's diary? Some of the cuts result in minor plot holes that can only be resolved by going back to the book.

All in all, though, this is a good movie. The acting is good. The sets, actors, and costumes are gorgeous--it is a feast for the eyes. And even if it doesn't include every detail from the book, the movie is faithful to the spirit of the book and to the broad lines of the plot. Go see it--but read the book too.

Rating:
Summary: Failed to "possess" this viewer
Review: I had high hopes when I went to see "Possession," directed by Neil LaBute. The film tells the story of two contemporary academics (Aaron Eckhart and Gwyneth Paltrow) who are investigating a relationship between two Victorian-era writers (Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle). The film switches back and forth in time between these two eras.

Although the film is ingeniously constructed and contains some fine moments, I was ultimately disappointed. I felt that the film really dragged after the first hour; I found myself constantly looking at my watch and thinking, "Is it over yet?" I must confess to even considering getting up and leaving before the film was over. I found the characters whiny, self-indulgent, and annoying. Aaron Eckhart's character struck me as a gross stereotype of an arrogant, self-serving American.

There are some breathtakingly beautiful views of the English countryside, and some good production values in the 19th century scenes. But overall, I can't recommend the film.

Rating:
Summary: Broken Hearts and Coronets
Review: There is something which fascinates me about viewing the long-departed as more than just historical figures, or pictures in an old, dusty photo album, or simply names on a tombstone. Whenever I take a tour of an old historical home, the rooms which give me cause to ponder the most are the bedrooms - not for any sordid reasons, but simply because it is a room to which we can all relate most deeply. You can picture the couples laying awake at night, talking with each other, loving each other, wondering about their future, how the bills would be paid, what they would wear to the park on Saturday, etc. There is a scene in "Possession" where a couple, now long-dead, are together in bed, dealing with their life, their emotions, and their love for one another. It may not last for long, but they enjoy the time together while they can. Then, in present day, another couple stays in the exact same room, and have their own ponderances about life and love.

The couple from the past in "Possession" are Randolph Henry Ash, and Christabel LaMotte. Both are distinguished poets, Ash even holding the position of poet laureate for Queen Victoria. He was known as a devoted husband, never straying from his wife. Christabel LaMotte, however, was most certainly not his wife. She was, in fact, a lesbian, living quietly with her companion in an eclectic English house, both enjoying their love of poetry, painting, and each other.

In the present day, literary scholar Roland Michell makes a discovery which could shatter the image of Randolph Ash as having been the perfect husband. Through a quick and winding series of events, Roland engages the cooperation of Maude Bailey, a scholar of Christabel LaMotte's work, to help him in his research. At first, Maude is more than dubious as to the veracity of Roland's claims of Ash and LaMotte's infidelity together, but once the evidence begins to mount, there can be but one obvious conclusion reached.

"Possession" is directed with a steady hand by Neil LaBute. Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle do a fine and sincere job in their roles as Ash and LaMotte, respectively. Gwyneth Paltrow, as Maude Bailey, is good at being British, but comes across somewhat stiff (though her character is written that way). Unfortunately, Aaron Eckhart suffers the misfortune of being an American character which, in the novel the movie is based on, had been English. It may sound superficial, but there were scenes where I thought that some of the romantic dialogue would have benefited greatly from a British accent. That is simply taste, however.

The movie oscillates between the 19th century affair of Ash and LaMotte, and the 21st century investigation (and subsequent bonding) of Roland and Maude. The scenes from the past are much more dramatic and poignant than the present-day occurences. The characters of Ash and LaMotte have much more at stake, and their affair brings with it much baggage. I would liked to have seen more scenes with them, as the movie is slow to unravel their characters, and I found it difficult to, at first, be as involved about their affair as Maude and Roland were. But the movie progresses nicely, and their is much love, angst, drama, and sadness. The ending is touching.

"Possession" is not without its faults, but it is also a very solid movie. The film combines the ease of modern day culture with the properness of a period piece drama. Emotions unleashed in period pieces are, I find, always more interesting, as the people of that time are typically supposed to be more restrained than those inhabiting the present. The characters of Ash and LaMotte are long dead, but we are able to catch a glimpse of their lives, and of their love, and it perhaps touches upon a sad note that such intensity, such emotion, must one day go the way of all things. But for a brief time in the grand scheme of things, they were in love. That is what "Possession" so movingly uncovers.

Rating:
Summary: A movie that dares to take poets seriously.
Review: While "Possession" can be faulted for being more literary than cinematic, and also more Victorian-melodramatic than it really needs to be, there are those of us for whom literary films and Victorian melodramas have their charm. Here Neil LaBute abandons his usual abrasive cynicism for a stately, romantic and altogether rewarding movie. The modern-day story--in which Aaron Eckhart and Gwyneth Paltrow hunt for the love letters of two Victorian poets while trying to keep their treacherous colleagues at bay--is entertaining enough; but it is the story told in the letters, of the passionate affair between poets Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle, that really makes the movie worth seeing. Although the film presents little of the putative poetry of Northam and Ehle, it does at least present them as interesting characters, which is more than most movies do for poets! The glowing photography of Jean-Yves Escoffier adds the final polishing touch to a movie that should appeal to anyone to whom words--and the emotions behind them--are important.

Rating:
Summary: Believable But A bit Stiff and Somewhat Boring
Review: Overall I found the film lacking in dramatic tension. Going back and forth between characters and similar situations is starting to become an overworked cinematic cliche. I was waiting and waiting for the passion... Waiting and waiting for an earth shattering love scene - a scene that would resonate with the lovely words that came and went like a flash in the night. But in the end I yawned and said: Yes, Paltrow is a competent actor and so are they all competent actors. Still, I found myself squirming in my seat and glad that I was in the Twenty First Century because obviously the Victorian era was probably as stuffy as this movie.

A lot of smoke here, but no real fire, no real pathos or chemistry between the leads, even the subplot somehow missed its mark.

I wish Ms. Paltrow would find a script worthy of her talent. Obviously this wasn't the one. Still, it was better than that silly Hal movie.

Rating:
Summary: Another Side of Neil LaBute
Review: A rose by any other name is still a rose; and so it is with love. And whether or not history reflects any of the great love stories of the past accordingly and/or contextually correct, it does not alter the fact of it. The rose of the romance four generations later, for example, may become known as the lily; neither does that alter the fact of what was, nor of what is, all of these decades later, indelibly etched upon the mind's eye of eternity. "Possession," directed by Neil LaBute, is just such a story, within a story; one the actual passion of which may have been inadvertently diminished, however, through the misinterpretation of the chroniclers who years before set it all down in annals made figuratively of stone, and which, once set, forever after endured. A romantic film of an even more romantic notion, it's a twofold tale of love, the stories of which, though separated by generations, are in the end, in nature one and the same. Because, as this film so richly reveals, love indeed lives eternal, and is borne on the very same flame throughout the ages.

Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart), an American, is in London on a fellowship researching the life and work of 19th Century poet Randolph Henry Ash (Jeremy Northam), poet laureate to Queen Victoria. History recognizes Ash as a dedicated and faithful husband, and his love poems-- purportedly written to or about his wife-- are considered to be among his most noteworthy accomplishments. In the course of his studies, however, Michell happens across some passionate letters written by Ash to a woman; a woman who is, without question, not his wife. And all evidence points to poetess Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle) as being the receiver of the letters-- and of Ash's affections.

Galvanized by the thought that he may have discovered something that would change history, he seeks out Dr. Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow), currently doing research of her own on LaMotte, in hopes that she will assist him in his quest to uncover the truth about Ash. Initially skeptical, Bailey acquiesces, and together they set out across England, following what appears to be the trail of Ash and LaMotte's movements during what Michell and Bailey calculate to have been the period of the romantic interlude between the poets. And what follows is a journey of discovery for Michell and Bailey; about the tenets of truth, history, and most importantly, about love.

LaBute, Laura Jones and David Henry Hwang wrote the screenplay for this film, adapted from the novel by A.S. Byatt. And for LaBute, known for such films as "Your Friends and Neighbors," "Nurse Betty" and the scathing "In the Company of Men," it's an artistic turn of 180 degrees. Absent are the misogynists and narcissists who typically populate his landscapes, replaced by characters the audience can warm to, if not embrace entirely. First and foremost, this is an enthralling love story, made all the more so by LaBute's sensitive and sensible presentation. Visually, it is stunning, as well; Jean-Yves Escoffier's masterful cinematography fully captures the exquisite beauty of the setting, which complements the romance and makes for an entirely transporting experience.

What makes this film altogether satisfying, however, is that LaBute (via Byatt) manages to transcend the dominant romantic aspects of it, interjecting a very subtle consideration of established social precepts and principles, as well. There is a decided sense of Ibsen about it, in attitude, outlook and especially in the suggestion of the "roles" men and women are assigned according to the dictates of "Society," both then and now. And there is an obvious parallel drawn between the characters of LaMotte and Bailey. Generations later, Bailey has become the person LaMotte aspired to be, and would have been except for the constraints of the times, exemplified by the direction LaMotte's life necessarily had to take, as compared with the options Bailey would enjoy in the same situation today.

The casting of this film could not have been better, beginning with LaBute stalwart Eckhart, who perfectly realizes the character of Michell. Through his performance, he manages to carry the pivotal role of the film, without making his character the focus. Michell is central to the story, but it is not "about" him, though Eckhart does give him something of an enigmatic presence, revealing just enough about him to maintain interest, but no more. Eckhart directs attention to what Michell is doing, rather than who he is, which successfully effects the desired results, and makes the film work.

From the moment she appears on screen, Gwyneth Paltrow is a commanding presence. Her initial entrance is fairly inauspicious, and yet when she steps into the room the eye is automatically drawn to her; it's one of those cinematic " moments" destined to remain suspended in time. She imbues Maud with a confident reserve which enables her to dominate the scenes she shares with Eckhart, pointing up not only her considerable ability as an actor, but Eckhart's generosity. Beyond all of which, Paltrow has eyes that draw you in like tractor beams.

The players who make this film so emotionally engaging, however, are Jennifer Ehle and Jeremy Northam. With acting souls seemingly tempered for period piece drama, Ehle ("Pride and Prejudice") and Northam ("Wuthering Heights," "Carrington") make the perfect LaMotte and Ash. In Ehle's Christabel, we discern a character of independence and strength, beneath which lies the romantic nature of the poet; in Northam's Ash we find gentleness and charm, a dreamer who seeks out and finds that which is beautiful and good about the world, the spirit of which he manifests in his work. Their respective performances are elegant, and there is a definite chemistry between them that renders the romance viable and convincing.

The supporting cast includes Trevor Eve (Cropper), Toby Stephens (Fergus), Tom Hickey (Blackadder) and Lena Headey (Christabel's friend). "Possession" is an excursion into new territory for LaBute, and the result is a memorable, transfixing experience for his audience.

Rating:
Summary: unusual, intriguing romantic drama
Review: ***1/2 "Possession" has all the intricacy, mystery and suspense of a classic piece of detective fiction. What sets this film apart, however, is that the object of the mystery does not involve a dead body, a piece of stolen treasure or a missing person, but rather the hitherto secret love affair between two well-known 19th Century English poets. The clues come in the form of journal entries, love letters and snippets of enigmatic poetry that, when pieced together, afford a glimpse into the inner yearnings of these two young, but essentially unrequited lovers.

As a narrative, "Possession" runs on two parallel tracks, one set in modern times (that's where the detective story aspect comes in) and the other set in 1859, as we learn the details of the romance that took place between the writers. In the contemporary plot strand, Aaron Eckhart stars as Roland Michell, a handsome young American research assistant who has come to England to study the work of famed poet Randolph Henry Ash, a writer with a certain misogynistic strain who nevertheless enjoys the rather unique reputation among poets of having been utterly faithful to his wife. As the story begins, Ash has become something of a cause celebre within British literary circles because the year 2000 happens to mark the centenary of the discovery of his work. While poring over a first edition copy of one of Ash's volumes, Roland stumbles across some original letters of Ash's that hint at the possibility that Ash, contrary to the public impression of his marital fidelity, may actually have had an affair with another famed poet of the time, a Miss Christabel La Motte, a woman believed by her biographers to have been a lesbian. Confronted with this startling, revolutionary and, perhaps, priceless piece of information, Roland sets out to unravel the mystery, accompanied by Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow), an expert on the life and work of Miss LaMotte (and a distant descendant of that famed poet in the bargain).

"Possession" earns points automatically simply by providing us with a unique storyline and a fascinating glimpse into a world we have rarely if ever seen portrayed on screen - the world of literary investigation. We are fascinated by all the behind-the-scene details showing not merely the investigative footwork that goes into unearthing the biographical details of a writer's life, but also the sometimes-cutthroat nature that propels rival investigators to both make and publish their discoveries, even if that means utilizing tactics that can be described as, at best, unethical, and, at worst, illegal.

But "Possession" offers more than just that. It also manages to provide not merely one, but two complex romances occurring at the same time (though a full century apart in the context of the story). Randolph and Christabel are both products - and victims - of their Victorian Era morality, yet at the same time, their struggles are universal in nature and neatly correspond to those experienced by Roland and Maud, who literally follow in the footsteps of the earlier couple. As our modern day investigators travel the same route through England that Randolph and Christabel took a century previous, Roland and Maud reveal much about their own inability to make commitments in the face of possible true love. As they tentatively grope towards one another, then back away out of fear of pain and rejection, Roland and Maud define, in many ways, the métier of modern romantic coupling. Yet, we discover, through Randolph and Christabel, that life in the past really wasn't much different from what it is today.

Based on the novel by A.S. Byatt, the David Henry Hwang/Laura Jones/Neil LaBute screenplay provides highly charged scenes between our two romantic couples, particular those involving Roland and Maud. The dialogue in these encounters is often sharp, intelligent, incisive. The romantic moments between Raymond and Christabel have a slightly more conventional feel to them, but they, too, often ring true in a way that is both deeply moving and strangely exciting. Director LaBute has drawn wonderful performances out of his quartet of first-rate actors. Aaron Eckhart as Roland and Jennifer Ehle as Christabel are particularly effective in their roles.

It's refreshing to see a romantic drama that manages to generate some actual chemistry between its two on-screen lovers. In the case of "Possession," our pleasure is thereby doubled, since the film accomplishes this with not merely one couple but two. "Possession" may not provide the blood, gore, corpses and hair-raising thrills one usually associates with detective fiction, but its devotion to the drama found in words, poetry, language and romance makes for no less an engrossing experience.

Rating:
Summary: Possessed by Love
Review: Neil LaBute's "Possession" is a detective story set in modern England circa 2000 and involves two English Lit scholars: Maud Bailey (Gwenyth Paltrow) and Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart). The most unusual thing about this film is the involvement of Neil LaBute, whose previous films would not in any way indicate that he could handle/understand/appreciate this Merchant/Ivory, "Masterpiece Theater" type of material. LaBute heretofore has directed both "Company of Men" and "Friends and Neighbors" both powerful, yet sour films of misogyny and misanthropy. "Nurse Betty," on the other hand was sweet and gentle, with only a bit of the bitterness that marked his previous two films but it was also smart, flashy and contemporary.
Roland Michell, through his research of a fictitious poet, Randolph Henry Ash (Jeremy Northam) discovers that Ash may have had an affair with one Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle). And even though this does not seem earthshaking in itself, it is the 100th year anniversary of the publication of Ash's poems and such news, and the attendant evidence would definitely cause a stir in the academic world.
LaBute manages to make this very esoteric storyline interesting and engaging through
the juxtaposition of the past (Ash and LaMotte) and the present (Bailey and Michell).
The past comes off a bit more successful, I think because the plot is inherently more interesting and having Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle definitely helps. Their iconic faces and manners speak loudly of a time (19th Century) when so much was accomplished through letters and mode of address rather than that of our modern, instant gratification times. Yes, it is a "Romantic" notion but romantic or not, one that breathes with wistful yet chastely torrid reverberations in this film
Paltrow and Eckhart (looking very thin and wolfish) do good work here but they fall in love too quickly and too easily I think. But LaBute may be playing a trick on and manipulating us here: drawing us to make a comparison between the two sets of lovers and knowing that the 19th century lovers will win out in his "will this love last?" test. I wouldn't put it past him.
Neil LaBute has fashioned a film about a very slight, very specific, of interest to only a handful of people subject and made it breathe with life and importance to a 21st Century audience. This is not a small accomplishment.

Rating:
Summary: Possession is a romantic gem!
Review: Wonderful film. Has light comedy, romance and tasteful flash-backs. I'm not quite sure why it is rated R. It contains no nudity, violence or major swearing. However, it is meant for adult audiences, mostly because, I'm afraid, it would bore the heck out of persons 16 and below. I found it enchanting. It reminded me of a Masterpiece Theater presentation. If you're a fan of slow-paced romance, this is indeed a film for you. :)