ReelBob: ‘Ammonite’ ★★★
By Bob Bloom
“Ammonite” is saddled with a familiar vibe — a period piece about two women living in a time when their gender was repressed socially, economically and sexually — who find each other and dare to walk a forbidden path.
On its surface, “Ammonite” may recall last year’s acclaimed drama, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” but the two are more distant cousins than close kin.
While “Portrait” is set in 18th-century France and centers on a woman painter and a reluctant young bride-to-be, “Ammonite” is set in early 19th-century England and deals with a woman scientist whose denied the acclaim and success she has earned because of her gender and a young married woman suffering from melancholia after a family tragedy.
“Ammonite,” which refers to a marine mollusk fossil, is driven by the performances of Kate Winslet as Mary Anning, a famous self-taught paleontologist who lives and works on the island of Lyme Regis, where she unearths fossils and makes a meager living for herself and her sick mother by selling her finds to tourists, and Saoirse Ronan as Charlotte Murchison, the neglected wife of a ne’er-do-well.
Earlier in life, Mary had gained some recognition by unearthing a find that landed in the British Museum.
Now, to support herself and her mother, she must accept money from a dilettante poser-paleontologist, Roderick Murchison, who pays Mary to take him on one of her seashore digs before he leaves on an overseas expedition.
With Murchison is his wife, Charlotte, a wan Ronan, who hovers behind her husband like a shadow. She is a sad, mousy woman with downcast eyes, dressed in mourning black, who says nothing.
Charlotte, basically ignored by her husband who is consumed with his upcoming adventure, is a shell, preferring to spend all day in bed.
Murchison, who does not want to drag his brooding wife along on his sojourn, offers Mary money to look after Charlotte. He cajoles Mary with more money as well as appealing to her better instincts, saying how getting Charlotte into the fresh air will improve her disposition and health.
The relationship gets off to a rocky start, with an ill Charlotte collapsing at Mary’s doorstep, forcing the latter to tend to the young woman.
As Charlotte improves — and becomes intrigued by Mary’s work — an understanding begins to form. That connection later leads to a collaborative friendship and then into something emotionally and profoundly deeper.
“Ammonite” does not offer any surprises. Its trajectory is predictable from the outset. But the acting by Winslet and Ronan instills an air of liberation into the journey.
Writer-director Francis Lee has created a bleak and gray setting. The sun never seems to shine on Lyme. Its climate is as stifling as the bundled clothing worn by Mary and Charlotte. The pace of the film, at more than two hours, is slow.
“Ammonite” is a movie to savor, not enjoy.
Winslet’s performance complements the movie’s atmosphere. Her Mary is very closed. She is terse and rarely looks directly at a person when speaking or being spoken to. She feels more comfortable around her fossils than interacting with people.
Ronan’s Charlotte, after getting out from her husband’s emotional thumb, becomes more outgoing and assertive. She seems to have a rebirth as if rediscovering the joys of life.
Because of the era, Mary and Charlotte’s happiness — while intense — is brief.
The finale of “Ammonite” is ambiguous, with the two women staring at each other on either side of Mary’s museum exhibit. We are left to our own interpretation of what the future holds for them.
You fervently wish that they defy convention, but you don’t know if they are willing to take that last leap.
That is the power of “Ammonite.” It offers you a glimpse of hope that perhaps love will prevail.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.
AMMONITE
3 stars out of 4
(R), graphic sexual content, graphic nudity, language