The best I can say about the film Woman in Gold is that no one disgraces themselves. All the signs are there of an uplifting story of redemption against Nazis and "the system". David vs. Goliath. Everyone involved should put Woman in Gold on their resume and feel great about being employed during its planning, production, and release.
Unfortunately, that is the best that can said for Woman in Gold. It bring nothing new to film. It is basically forgettable. There are countless movies based on similar premises of small pluckly lawyers that battle impossible odds on the side of right to be finally vindicated through almighty justice. There is considerably more soul in the painting "Woman in Gold" that in the film Woman in Gold.
While watching I actually made a connection between Woman in Gold and the Monuments Men. Both films at their core are about art and the power of art to describe times, places, and events in a sublime mastery of color and form. Both films use art as the focal piece of their cinematography and shot selection. It is unfortunate that neither film fully captured the beauty and impact of their subject(s) on film. It was if they used stock footage. Something in the way we, as the audience, are intended to view the paintings makes them seem museum-esque. Great films make art palpable and blur the lines of distance and location. We are right there with the piece. I wish Woman in Gold had better accomplished this effect.
On a scale of 1 lawyer against all odds to a team of 40 lawyers representing a mega corp, I give Woman in Gold, 2.3 out of 5 stars.
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