J.M.W. Turner, one of England’s most influential painters, is a classic example of a reclusive and brooding genius. He was famous for shying away from the spotlight, and revealing nothing to his admirers.
Mike Leigh’s most recent film, Mr. Turner, allows the audience to delve into the mystery-zone that is Mr. Turner’s mind. In stark contrast to the beautiful landscapes he so elegantly arranges on canvas, Mr. Turner (Timothy Spall) is a classic Ebenezer Scrooge character. Having neglected most of his family, Turner leads a life of solitude, taking time only to socialize with his father. His daily interactions are confined to mumbling orders at his maid/mistress, and talking business with his fellow painters by way of passive-aggressive confrontation. Yet, despite his ongoing battle with the world outside his front door, Turner somehow manages to paint the most amazing portraits of society at work.
Spall recently won the Best Actor award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and he puts on a commendable performance throughout the film, his face affixed with a seemingly permanent scowl. However, while his portrayal of the character’s emotion is captivating, his ability to deliver dialogue unfortunately falls somewhat short. The combination of a heavy cockney accent and short, staccato sentences that are delivered so briskly made all of the dialogue in the film particularly difficult to follow. Turner’s dialogue consisted mostly of grunts and groans and, if listening closely, one could occasionally make out the vague configuration of something that sounded like “alright” or “good day to you, sir.”
This is not to say that the film was ruined by its lack of comprehensible speech. Visually, Mr. Turner is striking, portraying eighteenth century London in all its darkness and grime. Landscape shots of Mr. Turner’s silhouette in front of the orange sunset make for some lovely cinematography, and the portrayal of his final moments in the English countryside are quite moving. While Mr. Turner will be easily overlooked in terms of its screenplay, Oscar nominations for costume and set design are in the bag.
Verdict: Not a must see at the festival, but worth your time if you enjoy historical films.
