Ammonite

I rather enjoyed this movie. It is about a subject and person foreign to me, a self-made female paleontologist in the 19th century England. Because she was female she had no real chance for recognition until long after her death.

Kate Winslet is one of my favorites over the years, here she is Mary Anning with a love of the seashore and fossils and little time for people and small talk. She gets a visit from a fellow paleontologist who leaves his young wife there to get healthy, to me she seemed unhappy from depression, not an organic sickness. This role is played well by another of my favorites, Saoirse Ronan as Charlotte Murchison. At first both are reluctant but they eventually form a bond.

It was speculated that Anning was a lesbian and although not substantiated that is the arc of her character here. All in all a very well made movie combining historical facts and fictional projections. Filmed in the SW England coastal region where Anning lived and discovered her fossils.

At home on DVD from my public library. My wife skipped, she was on a golfing trip.

Ammonite excavates the depths of intense lesbian romance. Strong acting would be an understatement. There are a few twists and turns along the way, some of them even predictable but Winslet's authentic performance as her meticulous, passionate character along with the performance of Ronan, keeps us rapt. The film has a captivating cinematography with stark physical beauty and colour palette of the beaches, sets and constumes. However, despite the plot being quite stretched out, Director doesn't fails to deliver a heartwarming and memorable experience.

In 19th century England jaded, somber, self-made paleontologist Mary Anning spends her days alone on the coastline excavating fossils, until a well-off tourist entrusts his wife Charlotte Murchison (repressed, melancholy, and a shadow of her former self) into Mary's care. Though Mary initially views Charlotte as another unwelcomed guest, gradually the two strangers become close as their relationship intensifies. In a quiet, intimate, and moody story such as this where much goes unsaid, most of the emotion is conveyed through subtleties and body language, but fortunately the two lead actresses are up for the challenge and deliver strong, internalized performances--though at times it's frustrating to try and discern the real emotional depths and complications between their two characters. It's hard to truly determine the historical accuracy of what transpires on screen, plus it concludes on an ambiguous note, but Ronan is solid as usual, while Winslet is absolutely riveting. **½

The first word that comes to mind when reviewing Ammonite is implicit. The only other review (at the time of writing) laments the lack of explicit sex scenes. There's no need for them; this is an understated love story, not a porn film. The sex scenes are few in number, but shot with delicacy and restraint. In fact, very little of this movie is explicit. An awful lot is left to the imagination of the viewer. Back stories are hinted at, touched briefly upon and only once filled in. Even the ending is left to us to imagine. Implicit, rather than explicit, is the watchword for this movie. The performances of the four female leads are in the same vein. Subtly acted throughout; never overdone. A really beautiful movie.

I just wanna point out that the scenes with no dialogue are the one's that say a lot ... Kate Winslet masters the way she talks only with her eyes.