Helen Mirren has done it again. She turns a somewhat ordinary story into a spellbinding voyage by way of another super cinematic performance.
Octogenarian Maria Altmann lives in California. In a flashback, we see Altmann as a young Austrian Jew who escapes persecution from the Nazis in 1939. Shortly before that, famous painter Gustav Klimt is commissioned to paint a portrait of her aunt, Adele Bloch-Bauer. He uses extensive amounts of gold leaf. It becomes part of the Nazi artistic trove. After the war, the painting was returned to Austria where it is proclaimed a national treasure ultimately put on display at the Belvedere in Vienna. It is called “Woman in Gold.”
Altmann (Mirren) finds documentation of ownership of the painting in her late sister’s belongings. She engages young attorney Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) to sue for the portrait’s return to her. The trials take her back to Austria and finally to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The movie is a two-character show. Reynolds appears hapless in contrast to Mirren’s brilliance. She wears little, if any, makeup and never has her hair properly brushed.
I liked the directorial decision to have most of the scenes in Austria using German with English sub-titles.
This movie earns a solid B grade and should make the list for Mirren fans. It is currently playing at the Rialto Theater in The Villages.
Historical Note: The painting is also known as “Lady in Gold.” Although Altmann makes it clear that she is not seeking the painting for the money, she ultimately sells the painting for $135 million. It is on exhibit at Neue Galarie in New York City.
Jack Petro reviews movies and local theater for Villages-News.com
