This may seem like two unlikely films to link in a review: it is true, both in terms of content and quality, that they do not have much in common. Mr Turner is a deliberately paced drama about the last 26 years of the life of Britain’s greatest ever painter, J.M.W. Turner; and The Art of the Steal is a fast moving contemporary heist movie. What they do have in common (aside from the subject matter of art) is they both suffer from the same flaw – they have a problematic start that may put you off, but both are worth persevering with.
The Art of the Steal had a brief cinema release a couple of months ago and is already available to download on iTunes and on demand on Sky. It stars Kurt Russell and Matt Dillon as brothers who are in the business of stealing art.
Estranged for many years after a joint job in Warsaw goes horribly wrong, they decide to get back together for the biggest heist of their lives, whilst still not really trusting each other. That original bungled robbery is very badly handled in the film. They have a very small window to swap a genuine painting with a forgery, so it is baffling that the forger is located on the other side of the city to the scene of the crime, resulting is an unnecessary dash across the city that the police become involved with. Once one the gang is captured the depiction of the Polish prison he is sent to is, frankly, laughable!
However, if you can get through the opening 20 minutes or so, you will be rewarded with a decent, zippy crime caper. As you would expect there are plenty of crosses and double crosses, and you might have to rewind a couple of times towards the end as the story picks up pace! There are some good laughs too, mostly provided by an impressive supporting cast, including Terence Stamp, Jay Baruchel, and Jason Jones.
So, whilst it won’t be considered a classic of the genre (like Rififi, Topkapi, The Sting, Heist and Oceans 11 / 13), this is a pleasing way to spend an hour and a half of your time.
Rating 6 out of 10
Mr Turner is the hugely lauded new film from the acclaimed director Mike Leigh. Period dramas have the reputation of being staid, often quite dull, and something to snooze through on BBC1 at Sunday tea time. Leigh, still most closely associated with modern domestic dramas, showed with Topsy Turvy in 1999 that is not always the case.
Similarly to that Gilbert and Sullivan biopic, Mr Turner is full of authentic sounding dialogue and earthy humour. It is that late Georgian / early Victorian dialogue, delivered with often thick accents that caused me to struggle with the film in its early stages. After 10 minutes or so, I became attuned to it and had no issues with the sound from then on, though American viewers may find that they need subtitles throughout!
The story of the artist struggling to get the establishment and the public to accept the changes to his painting style, whilst coping with crises and a blossoming romance in his private life is a fascinating one. Towering over the film is the performance of Timothy Spall. Gruff, and often uncommunicative, but still able to convey a character that is simultaneously both fragile and robust. This is a career defining part for one of our greatest current actors.
Already with a Cannes best actor win under his belt, I would be astonished if an Oscar nomination wasn’t to follow. Leigh, and his regular cinematographer Dick Pope, should also be similarly honoured for bringing Turner’s paintings to life. Instead of having endless scenes of Turner painting – though what we do see is eye opening, and reputedly accurate – we see him visiting the places he will be painting, all of which are beautifully realised.
Most of Leigh’s other regular repertory cast are present but mostly only in small roles – Ruth Sheen as his mistress, Peter Wight as a potential benefactor and Lesley Manville as a visiting scientist. Karina Fernandez is excellent in one telling scene as a fellow guest at a party, and Marion Bailey as a widower he falls in love with, makes a real impression.
Maybe not quite reaching the heights of his recent masterpieces – Vera Drake and Another Year – but, now into his seventies, Leigh is still producing thought provoking and entertaining work.
Rating 8.5 out of 10