Mr. Turner (2014)

How sad is this?

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

A great biopic tells the story behind the story so that we learn about how things came to be. Instead what we see in the story of Mr Turner is a collection of well known stories linked together with no exploration beyond these onto the screen.William Turner created some of the greatest landscape paintings that inspired generations after him. We know the stories, in particular how we was lashed to mask in storm so that he could be inspired to his fabulous Steam Boat in a Storm painting. Except we know that story. We know the painting. It is interesting to see it on the big screen, but the movie contributes nothing to our understanding of this event.In the same way it contributes nothing to the whole story of Turner's life other than some little snippets that are loosely linked together. We don't see his youth, his inspiration, his great struggles. This is nothing but a collection of anecdotes rather than a story or a movie. .

Mike Leigh returns to the historical biopic with this visually arresting and deeply human portrayal of British artist JMW Turner. Timothy Spall is a perfect choice to play a man at once sensitive and lascivious, pioneering and fragile. Leigh has a knack for selecting actors whose faces display the cares of their lives, Imelda Staunton in "Vera Drake" a prime example, and Spall is no exception here, playing the role with great physicality. He's ably supported by a wide cast, Marion Bailey bringing some much-needed warmth and sincerity. The film also just about manages to avoid name-dropping too frequently, adeptly navigating the scores of Turner's famous contemporaries.The script is excellently paced and crammed with brilliant dialogue, a notable example being the discussion between Turner, Bailey's Mrs. Booth and her husband, played by Karl Johnson, who recounts his days as a ship's carpenter for a slaver. It is clear that the actors here have all benefited enormously from Leigh's trademark lengthy pre-production and are utterly bedded in with their characters' lives.As has been commented upon by many other reviewers (and recognised by the Academy), "Mr. Turner" is beautifully shot with the lighting in some scenes rightfully stealing the show. Given the subject matter, anything less than this would have displayed comical misrepresentation. Dick Pope finds many of Turner's reds, greys and golds in his beautiful portrayal of the English countryside, but there are also some wonderfully candlelit interiors which sharpen the manifold contours of the aged cast. The use of digital trickery to enhance the palette and provide visual touches that chance denies is sometimes a little too noticeable, fittingly in conjunction with the narrative's occupation with Turner's own fascination and resignation with the encroaching visual technology that will overtake his fine arts in the capture of light.Gary Yershon deserves a mention for providing a sumptuous score to accompany Dick Pope's cinematography. His woodwind-dominated compositions are some of the finest original work I've heard in the last couple of years.The negatives are relatively light - the film's 150 minute run-time eventually took its toll and I was certainly ready for the end. Uncharacteristically I also found some of the scenes lacking in subtlety. When Turner declines a fortune for his work, preferring to bequeath it to the British public, the sentiment comes across a little too bluntly, as do Turner's final moments.That being said, these take little away from an outstanding achievement from a modern master.

Well Mr. Leigh, I admire your work and Imma let you finish but this movie sucks on many levels. I am not in the position to judge the quality of British painting but when it comes to comparing it with other European countries' painting ecoles, say "Dutch Masters" or Italian Renaissance painters or many many famous French painters, British painting is definitely not in the hall of fame of European art.That is why I consider making a biopic of a British painter as a slight attempt to elevate British painting to a more visible and honorable degree by the means of cinema. An effort to make a place for it in the minds. However, Mr. Turner's neither art nor character and nor his life is interesting, on the contrary, almost everything is rather dull.This kind of movies mostly receive admiration for its contribution to imagining old times. How did people pass their time when there was no TVs, no pastime instruments. When there was limited light in houses, what did people do at nights? How did they behave in an art society, in the Victorian age, what did they speak? I have to admit, Mr. Leigh must have some hardships in illustrating those moments and his artistry works in this level. But we have seen better of his talent previously. I believe he has the quality of Fellini while establishing his own gravitational atmosphere, especially in the context of actor direction.

..so sorry I have started to see this movie... I love Turner's paintings. I have an album with his paintings since I was a child. Later in life I had the opportunity to see some of his paintings in National Gallery..I watch on reproductions of his work online any time I can...I understand he was a human being with all pluses and minuses like any other person. I didn't expect this movie to praise him as a perfect hero, but I didn't expect I will stop watching with disgust ( I didn't resist watching all of it). Honestly, the actor reminded me too much of his character played in Harry Potter movies - I avoided to watch his face because I couldn't see him as "Turner". More, his pouting and grunting didn't help at all.. The movie is like a series of postcards from different places in his last part of life, with no connection between them, with characters and long dialogues which bring no relevance to the action. Apart of the disgusting sexual behavior of "Turner" with his semi- retarded servant with a skin disease ( I don't know why this detail was emphasized so much..), I haven't learned anything about him, his art, about his amazing pictures...The pig head episode, too much detailed IMHO, was also not relevant to Turner art...Because the reason of his fame is his art, isn't it? He might not have been the nicest person bur his art brought and still brings a lot of joy to people's souls... Watching this movie, depicting a grumpy, disgusting old man was the biggest waste of my time.