Mr. Turner | Mike Leigh | NYFF 2014
The latest period piece from highly respected British director Mike Leigh is Mr. Turner, a lengthy biopic about English Romanticist landscape painter J. M. W. Turner. Timothy Spall transformers into the titular figure, a scary transformation that see’s Spall emulate every bit of the great painter.
Spall doesn’t really actually say all that much that’s coherent. Rather, his performance is full of grunts and wheezes, which seemed to be Turner’s preferred form of communication. With a lesser actor, this performance wouldn’t have worked, but the rather underappreciated British actor, Timothy Spall, delivers an Awards worthy performance of his character.
This isn’t your typical biopic where you start from the painters birth and early days, but rather a intricate character study of the last 25 years of his life. We meet Mr. Turner when he’s an already well-established painter in 1800’s Victorian society. While he excelled at painting, he struggled with most other facets of life. Aside from the relationship with his late father William (Paul Jesson), Turner rejects close relationships with most others, ignoring the daughters he had with his former wife, pretending that they don’t exist. He’s cold to his housekeeper Hannah Danby (Dorothy Atkinson) who he just uses for sex when he pleases (with plenty of grunts to go around). Most of Turner’s life was spent trying to get back to the canvas. Trying to form personal relationships just got in the way.
Leigh takes his time with the pacing of the film, never rushing scenes, letting them play out as if he’s conducting his own painting. The fantastic work by cinematographer Dick Pope is in a league of its own, with some of the best composed shots of the entire year. Each scene is a delicate stroke of his brush, with long extended shots of beautiful scenery, brought to life by gorgeous set pieces and costumes that makes the 1800’s seem utterly real.
It’s a very slow and rather gloomy film (Gary Yershon’s harrowing score adds to that), and at two and a half hours, the sluggish pace may be a bore to some viewers. You never get to learn much about Turner, and he’s too cold and full of inaudible noises to become attached to. Leigh shows us Turner’s life, but doesn’t try and get us to care for him. I understand the decision, it’s just something that left me feeling somewhat cold towards the character. It’s when Turner is working with a canvas where the film works it’s magic. A scene where Turner is tied to the mast of ship during a storm so he can capture the epicness that become the painting “Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth,” is such highlight.
Turner will be remembered for being masterfully directed by Leigh, and the staggering performance from Spall as well as co-stars Dorothy Atkinson and Marion Bailey. The sluggish pacing will test your patience at times, but there’s too much wonderful filmmaking at hand to be ignored. It won’t be for everyone but if you give Mr. Turner your devoted time and attention, you’ll leave affected by the major league of performances and filmmaking that brought this art to life.
Mr. Turner wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
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