“Ammonite” joins a long list of forbidden love stories, yielding a movie presented in washed-out tones, which shines principally thanks to Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan. The result is a slow-moving, somewhat predictable but finally effective period romance that primarily serves as an old-fashioned testament to star power.
Set in the 1840s, the film features Winslet as Mary Anning, an accomplished fossil hunter who plies her trade along the English coastline, selling her discoveries to tourists. Living with her mother (Gemma Jones), she’s basically sleepwalking through her hardscrabble existence, other than her work, when she meets Ronan’s Charlotte, a wealthy woman afflicted by what her husband unhelpfully describes as “mild melancholia.”
Said husband (James McArdle) has developed an interest in fossils himself, and after seeking her advice, asks Mary to essentially babysit his bride while he goes off to explore. Resistant at first, Mary — who harbors her own painful past — is increasingly drawn to her charge, as the two awaken the spark in each other.
Written and directed by Francis Lee (“God’s Own Country”), it’s frankly hard to describe “Ammonite” (a reference to the extinct, shelled creatures found embedded in the rocks) without making the movie sound as derivative as it is. The performances, however, elevate the material, as Winslet and Ronan each convey grappling with different kinds of trauma without speaking about what ails them.
When they finally do connect — after what feels like a too-long buildup — those scenes are raw and passionate. Inevitably, they’re also tinged with sadness, given that Charlotte has a home to which she seemingly must return, offering little chance of enduring happiness. Last year’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” (set about 70 years earlier) and the HBO series “Gentleman Jack” come to mind as recent examples that similarly filter the LGBTQ experience through the intolerance of the era.
Winslet and Ronan are no strangers to period fare, including Ronan’s star turn in last year’s “Little Women.” Yet the quiet desperation of the former’s character perhaps most closely resembles her role in “Little Children,” another story in which a seemingly hopeless affair carried a fleeting sense of elation.
Pivoting to the hunt for more pragmatic treasures, it’s worth noting that Winslet has already collected seven Oscar nominations. Despite being a small-boned movie, in this very strange year it wouldn’t be a surprise if “Ammonite” lets her unearth another.
“Ammonite” premieres in select theaters on Nov. 13 and premium on demand on Dec. 4. It’s rated R.
Regulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation for altering an email that the Justice Department relied on during its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Friday at rival Republicans who tried to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be a ridiculous move comparable to abolishing speed limits.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — As some conservatives in South Carolina celebrated getting a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state past a legislative barrier and likely becoming law, they said they are not finished trying to end all abortions.
A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.