Woman in Gold

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Simon Curtis/Starring: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Bruhl, Katie Holmes, Jonathan Pryce, Frances Fisher, Antje Traue, Max Irons, Tatiana Maslany and Elizabeth McGovern

Maria Altmann, niece of Adele Bloch-Bauer; the subject of artist Gustav Klimt's masterpiece Woman in Gold (originally titled Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I) attempted to reclaim the painting which was stolen from her family's home by the Nazis during the 1938 annexation of Austria.

A reluctant Austrian government was unwilling to part with what it considered to be a national treasure, and vigorously resisted her efforts. This in spite of the Austrian government's late 20th century push to return stolen artwork to their rightful owners. Altmann pursued the painting by legal means, enlisting the help of a Los Angeles lawyer named Randal Schoenberg but the two found the Austrian legal system formidable. Just as the situation seemed impossible, Schoenberg discovered a way to sue the Austrian government by way of the American court system, which paved the way for a hearing before the Austrian court. Altmann's Sisyphean quest then gained a glimmer of hope after many setbacks and disppointments.

The story of Altmann's pursuit is the subject of director Simon Curtis' new film Woman in Gold.

One would think a real story such as Altmann's would only require minimal effort to be compelling onscreen but somehow Curtis' film simmers but never seethes, leaving the audience with something only adequately told and performed. How could this be, when Altmann's early life in Austria meant being in the company of a beautiful aunt who has since become an icon in the history of art? How could it be when Altmann faced persecution under the Nazi's and narrowly escaped its destructive agenda? Lesson to filmmakers telling "true" stories: riveting history doesn't necessarily mean riveting cinema; powerful intercession is required.

Helen Mirren plays Maria Altmann while Ryan Reynolds is lawyer Randal Schoenberg, grandson of the famed composer Arthur Schoenberg. Altmann and Randal meet in Los Angeles following the news of the Austrian government's restorative gesture. Randal's assignment as a newly-hired attorney in a prestigious law firm is to look into the feasibility of representing Altmann, which entails flying to Austria to examine files and records pertaining to her family. Complicating Randal's task is Altmann, who refuses to return to the country that is essentially responsible for her family's demise. After careful deliberation, Altmann reconsiders. She locks up her L.A. dress shop to join Randal in Austria.

In Austria, Altmann and Randal meet a journalist (Daniel Bruhl), who takes a special interest in her problem.

While Altmann's efforts are hobbled by bureaucratic resistance, her memories of her stunning aunt Adele (Antje Traue) mingle with her grim recollections of Nazi terror, which visited the Jewish population of Austria in the 1930s' and 40s'. Though Adele never faced Nazi oppression (she died in 1925 of Meningitis), Maria's parents, her Uncle and her husband Fritz Altmann all suffered a variety of humiliations, including the confiscation of property, particularly Klimt's famous painting of her aunt.

The film is really a diptych of Altmann's past and present, which also serves as its narrative structure. The closer Altmann comes to realizing her dream of repossessing the painting, the more we learn of the subject of Klimt's masterwork and her special place in Altmann's memory. And as the process of reclaiming the painting becomes an almost hopeless nightmare, we see that Altmann also seeks redress from a nation that abetted her family's destruction.

But the film is also about Randal and what he sacrifices to help Altmann reclaim the painting, namely his family's happiness and his career, which are jeopardized in the process.

The various stories should translate into a powerful film, but too often Mirren's Altmann comes off as a loveable senior with cute witticisms. I give Reynolds credit for taking on a role that doesn't resemble anything in his usual repertoire. He has some moments where he shows surprising range but he is mostly Altmann's straight man/sidekick, leading the legal struggle. Frances Fisher and Katie Holmes are the movie's furniture and little more than that. I wish Bruhl had been given more to do other than remind Altmann how hopeless her cause is. He is better than his very limited, short-shrifted role.

Curtis' film is interesting and if you find that word criminally tepid, then know that I use it deliberately, for that's as much praise as I can award it. I'm a bit weary, nay, very weary of Holocaust-related stories. Though the film is also about other things, it is essentially a story about how the Nazi's devastated a family and robbed it of one of its prized possessions while suppressing the Jewish identity of the woman in the painting Woman in Gold. I feel I've seen Nazi malice portrayed so often on screen, it's lost its ability to shock or make me feel outrage.

And though the young Maria Altmann's (Tatiana Maslany) escape from Nazi operatives gives the film a temporary pulse-quickener, it does little to bestow any vigor on the proceedings. What should be a powerful film is really just an okay film that could have been an AMC, HBO or Netflix production for streaming or television. As the story carried on, my eyelids began their inexorable pilgrimmage toward leadenness. I cared about Altmann's struggle but I could already anticipate the end titles that would inevitably say something about what became of Altmann's efforts.

Funny how many people I met at the local theater rolled their eyes when I asked if they had seen the movie. "Geez, the trailer looks bad, doesn't it? seemed to be the most frequently heard question/comment.

I implore you to see the trailer and skip the flick. If you find a two-minute trailer insufferable, the 109 minute version won't alter your perception much.