Synopsis: A biopic following the life and loves of famous impressionist painter WM Turner from the height of his fame until his death.
Stan's thoughts: This isn't a typical biopic in that it starts when Turner (Timothy Spall) is already famous and doing quite well for himself and follows him until his death when his work was being ridiculed.
Some have leveled criticism at the film for not really delving into the man but I prefer the subtlety of what Mike Leigh has done. He leaves you with an impression of the painter, un-gilded and uncompromising. He is a man of little words (Timothy Spall saying as much in a grunt as many actors can convey in a whole sentence), quietly passionate and driven by his work, good company but not wholly good to all those around him. He is both extraordinary and ordinary.
Mike Leigh'a film is beautiful and intelligent.
Ratings
- Stan’s 80%
- IMDB 70%
- Metascore 95%
- Rotten Tomatoes 97%
- RT Audience Rating* 62%
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