Such a disappointment...

Before I get going, know this... At the dawn of each new year I typically research all the scheduled future releases for the forthcoming twelve months... Possession was one of the films I was most looking forward to in 2002. That is what makes it all the more disappointing that this film turns out to be waning in mediocrity.

Rather than weaving a compelling and original romance, this film quickly fizzles into a Hardy Boy's mystery for pseudo intellectual romantics. The flights of fancy and enormous leaps of ludicrous logic that the script hurls at us, left me chuckling to myself. At no point is it possible to take this film seriously, which would be acceptable if the story were presented as a fable. Instead we are faced with having to believe that Maud (Paltrow) can decipher obscure century old poetry to such a specificity that she can find hidden caves behind waterfalls and long lost letters underneath a porcelain doll's bed. Sound weird? Well, you better buy into it or you are going to have a bad time at the movies.

I am a big sucker for romances... but one thing not a lot of people understand is that a successful romantic movie needs a big dose of brain to go along with a heavy serving of heart. Possession lacks an intelligent counterpoint to it's wistful love story.

Gwyneth has acted with an English accent many times... and has done it very well. But here she goes overboard ever so slightly and draws attention to the accent which should fall seamlessly into the film. I am one of Gwyneth's biggest fans, loving virtually everything she's done in her career, but her role as Maud Bailey is not a particularly memorable one.

Aaron Eckhart gives the best performance in the film, it's just a shame that the script let him down. Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle, who should probably have had equal screen time with Eckhart and Paltrow in order for this film to have been successful, are muted and unexplored... their romance may have been compelling if an entire film had been devoted to it.

Neil LaBute is one of today's best directors... his earlier films (In the Company of Men, Your Friends & Neighbors, Nurse Betty) were all wonderful. Each of those efforts had a sharp tongued wicked wit that resonated for weeks after viewing. Possession mires in fluff and pretence. Only half the intended jokes are funny... there are more unintentional laughs than intentional ones. The romances are thin and without emotional impact. And most importantly of all... the film is devoid of intellect.

I give this film credit for a wonderfully intriguing premise, gorgeous locations and cinematography, but that's not enough to remotely entertain the notion of a recommendation.

What a shame! I thought this was going to be one of the best films of the year.

© Written by TC Candler

How We Rated This Film TC Candler - C Richard Propes - B Jacob Hall -

Richard Propes' Comment

It's always a surprise when I ended up thinking more highly of a LaBute film than TC, the avowed LaBute advocate. Yet, "Possession" is certainly an example of a film that worked for me quite significantly. For me, the film's success lies in the way it manages parallel relationships in two different eras while clearly painting a picture of the similarities and differences in each relationship. LaBute regular Aaron Eckhart is his usual magnificent self, and Gwyneth Paltrow offers the perfect blend of intellect and closeted emotion. I don't agree with TC's contention that this film is lacking intellectually. On the contrary, it feels more purely intellectual without LaBute's usual devices of manipulation and overt wordplay. In "Possession," the couples are romantic and passionate but the passion is borne out of their intellect and the logical ways in which they build their relationships. "Possession" is, perhaps, a more disciplined LaBute, but "Possession" is, most definitely, imprinted with the LaBute flair for capturing every nuance of the spoken word and bringing out characters who then read between the lines.

Jacob Hall's Comment

n/a