Review: Woman In Gold

If you're going to make a film based on someone's life, the goal is to do that life justice. Unfortunately, that's a harder task than it looks -- as can be seen in the case of WOMAN IN GOLD, which tells the life story of Maria Altmann. From a director whose portfolio mostly consists of TV movies (Simon Curtis), and written by a first-time screenwriter, it isn't too surprising that the film doesn't quite match up to its potential.

Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) lived as a Jew under the Nazi regime in Austria until she was able to escape with her husband and find a home in America, putting behind her a life full of fear -- but in doing so, leaving her family and her whole life behind. Years later, Maria wants to take back the collection of art that the Nazis had stolen from her family, most notably the painting of her aunt, entitled The Woman In Gold. However, the legal issues regarding these paintings are sticky, and so she requests the help of a young lawyer, Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), whose history is also steeped in Jewish heritage. They are aided by an Austrian journalist, Hubertus (Daniel Brühl), who gives them some tips on how to take on the Austrian government, and gives his moral support.

The true story is a magnificent tale, but the film falls flat. The first scenes rob Maria of any character development, instead reducing her to an expository conversation about her soon-to-be lawyer and the statement of conflict. Nowhere in this film do we see motivation from either Maria or Randol; sure, they talk about it (over and over and over), but the audience is never allowed any proof that they actually feel what they're saying. A combination of poor writing and poor acting (my deepest apologies to all you Helen Mirren fans) leaves the film feeling very sterilized and bland. There is nothing wrong with the acting in the series of flashbacks scattered throughout the film however. Tatiana Maslany and Max Irons steal the show, giving the characters a shade of memorability.

WOMAN IN GOLD is not a complete flop, but it isn't going to be on any "must see" lists anytime soon. For those who are interested in Maria Altmann's story, you can get the gist from this film, but that's about it.

WOMAN IN GOLD is now playing at the Midtown Cinema.