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Possession | Year: 2002 Directed: - Neil LaBute Actors/Actresses: - Sam Neill - Gwyneth Paltrow as Maud Bailey - Aaron Eckhart as Roland Michell - Jennifer Ehle - Jeremy Northan A Nice way to Spend an Evening I enjoyed this DVD, even though the story line was no where near as complex as the A.S. Byatt novel from which it was adapted -- and I think I was not disappointed because I knew that would be the case. Another reviewer said that the portions set in the 19th century were the best parts, and I agree. Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle are outstanding as the lovers who will only be allowed a brief time together. Ms. Ehle is a wonderfully talented actress (as far as I am concerned, she is the definitive Elizabeth Bennett)with a face that accurately registers emotions so that the viewer is never in doubt as to what the character is feeling or thinking. Jeremy Northam is excellent -- it was his skill as an actor that kept the final scene in the movie from being maudlin. I thought Gwyneth Paltrow did an adequate job in the role of Maud, as it was written for the screen. However, Aaron Eckhart was a poor choice for Paltrow's romantic interest and fellow-academic. I didn't for one minute believe he was a student of 19th century British literature; I thought at first I was being influened by his performance as the biker-lover in "Erin Brockovitch," but the truth is that he just wasn't convincing and seemed uncomfortable in the role. The British countryside was lovely, the story is interesting and romantic, and due to Northam and Ehle I recommend this DVD as a nice way to spend the evening. If you want more depth, buy the book. Victorian Romance leads to Modern Connection "No mere human can stand in a fire and not be consumed." While doing research in the British Museum, Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart) discovers letters written by Randolph Ash who had an affair with a lesser-known poetess, Christabel LaMotte. Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow) knows Christabel's poems by heart and Randolph seeks her out as an expert to help him figure out why a "chaste spinster" and the "married Randolph Ash" never revealed their love to the world. He has one clue, a love letter. Christabel and Randolph's love is based on a common love of literature and intellectual discussions, poetry and passion. They are like minds that somehow connected and together they find immense happiness despite their circumstances. Although they fight their attraction to one another, they eventually create a world of turmoil and tragedy. Gwyneth and Aaron have a subtle chemistry but it is not "quite" the mingling of spirits that occurs with Christabel (Jennifer Ehle) and Randolph (Jeremy Northam) and yet there are enough sparks to keep them interested. "I want to see if there is an us in you and me." Is passion worth the turmoil and upheaval? Is this the tangle most people want? While the story of the poets is only a memory, Maud and Roland are just starting their journey and are fortunately single when they meet. Maud and Roland lurk about in divine libraries searching for clues and discover old letters and journals. They are intoxicated by the thought that they can actually solve this mystery. They must conceal their true purpose while searching for clues. They spend time reading the letters to each other, which is the most romantic "modern" part of this movie. The Victorian "flash backs" are much more entertaining on all levels. The Victorian romance in this movie is wonderful, but the modern romance is much more subtle. Yet, who would not want to have a man read you poetry in bed? Adapted from A.S. Byatt's novel by the same name. The movie is not the passionate fire the name suggests. However, this movie will possess you intellectually from start to finish. Thoughtful Romance with an element of mystery. The past will connect them. The passion will possess them. "Possession" is one of those movies where as soon as it is over you want to go out and read the novel upon which it is based the better to be able to enjoy the full tapestry of the story. Reading A. S. Byatt's 1990 Booker Prize-winning novel would also allow you to better appreciate the adaptation by David Henry Hwang, Laura Jones and director Neil LaBute, which offers some interesting and creative approaches, both in terms of the story and how it is portrayed cinematically. The story is essentially a romantic mystery. American Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart) is working as an assistant to a literature professor in London doing research on Randolph Henry Ash (Jeremy Northam), a poet Laureate during the reign of Queen Victoria. Roland discovers some letters from Ash that suggest the poet, a paragon of devotion with regards to his wife, had a romantic relationship with Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle), a minor poet and apparent lesbian, at least according to the historical record that exists. Roland enlists Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow), a English scholar who studies LaMotte, and the two begin their journey as literary detectives. Of course a romantic relationship will develop between Roland and Maud as they are caught up in revealing the past of Randolph and Christabel. However, I have to admit that I was much more interested in the detective work unlocking the secrets of the lovers from the past than the slowly developing romance between the two scholars. Actually, I was much more interested in the romance of the two lovers in the past rather than in the present. This is not only because my academic interests are extremely sympathetic with unraveling the meaning of ancient texts, but also because the two poets have more hurdles to overcome in the romance department. After all, Eckhart and Paltrow are so good looking that their physical union is no more in doubt than their intellectual coming together. This film might actually have benefited from having less better looking leds in terms of this particular story. LaBute gets points for the rather seamless way that he shifts back and forth between the past and the present as letters and locations allow us to slip back and forth between the two. I also have a real affection for films that still do the old trick of having stage hands move things around so that a total transformation is achieved on a set within a single panning shot back and forth. But what makes "Possession" so memorable is the powerful final scene and the haunting final shot, which is where this 2002 film achives its own sense of the poetic. I am hard pressed to explain why I am only giving this film four stars given how much I like it; my best guess is because the film is only 102 minutes long and because this is a literary adaptation I cannot help but think this is the abridged version. There are a few deleted scenes available on the DVD, but they do not indicate anything substantial missing from the film. I also wanted to lose myself more in the story of Randolph and Christabel, and the Victorian world in which they lived. I really liked this film, but what I really wanted was to love it. Buy Possession at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Possession Search with the Priority Search Engine on Possession This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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