Possession (2002)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Neil LaBute

Writers (WGA):

A.S. Byatt (novel)
David Henry Hwang (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

4 September 2002 (France)

Genre:

Romance | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

The past will connect them. The passion will possess them.

Plot:

A pair of literary sleuths unearth the amorous secret of two Victorian poets only to find themselves falling under a passionate spell.

Plot Keywords:

Spell | Rival | Love Letter | Train Station | Period Piece

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Maud Bailey
Aaron Eckhart	...	Roland Michell
Jeremy Northam	...	Randolph Henry Ash
Jennifer Ehle	...	Christabel LaMotte
Lena Headey	...	Blanche Glover
Holly Aird	...	Ellen Ash
Toby Stephens	...	Fergus Wolfe
Trevor Eve	...	Cropper
Tom Hickey	...	Blackadder
Georgia Mackenzie	...	Paola
Tom Hollander	...	Euan
Graham Crowden	...	Sir George
Anna Massey	...	Lady Bailey
Craig Crosbie	...	Hildebrand
Christopher Good	...	Crabb-Robinson

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexuality and some thematic elements.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Finland:S | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:15 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Athenaeum Club, Pall Mall, St. James's, London, England, UK

Company:

USA Films

Trivia:

A large part of Church Street in Whitby was dressed to give it the appearance of a 18/19th century fishing town. Gwyneth Paltrow insisted that the whole place was screened off so that she was not visible to the small crowd of on-lookers. Jeremy Northam, however, took time to go and talk about the film to the bystanders. Miss Paltrow also turned down an offer from the local dignitaries to meet the mayor and be shown around the town. The Whitby Gazette carried a massive banner headline declaring "PALTROW SNUBS WHITBY".

Goofs:

Factual errors: Everyone was handling rare, old documents with their bare hands. Anyone doing this kind of research would know to wear gloves to protect the fragile paper.

Quotes:

Roland Michell: There's no such thing as poets anymore.

Movie Connections:

References The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)

Soundtrack:

Possesso

Attractive, but unremarkable

Two love stories unfold simultaneously in this attractive, sensitive, but not wholly successful adaptation of a popular novel. Eckhart plays an American literary researcher in England who stumbles upon some long lost and completely unknown love letters by a Victorian poet (who just happens to be having his centenary celebrated!) He pairs with an icy doctoral researcher (Paltrow) and they begin to piece together a heretofore undiscovered relationship between the married poet (Northam) and a fellow poetess (Ehle) who is involved in a long-standing lesbian love affair. The stories are presented in turns, often accented by some clever setups in which the same settings reveal jumps in time. Eckhart (an immensely appealing actor) took a lot of heat for his role which was originally intended for a British actor. His presence changes the entire flavor of the story as it was written in the source novel, yet he comes across as endearing as ever. Paltrow (an agonizingly overrated actress and overrated beauty) looks like Carolyn Bessette Kennedy only with a rigid, showy English accent. Her attention to the accent and to what she believes her character to be results in an almost robotic portrayal and nothing resembling a human being. The Victorian couple generates both interest and romance, yet isn't given the screen time of the contemporary couple. If a STAR hadn't been placed in the modern story, maybe the focus could have been more even and the Victorian story could have been given a touch more emphasis. Still, Northam and Ehle (who bears a striking resemblance to Meryl Streep) manage to make an impact. What was apparently quite enthralling and romantic on the page has become rather routine and familiar on the screen, though there are some lovely and thoughtful moments throughout. Some of the location scenery is gorgeous (as is Eckhart.) A host of British character actors round out the cast with results ranging from strong (Headey, Stephens) to campy (Eve) to wasted (Aird, Massey.) Someone needs to inform Paltrow that an accent, a bun and a turtleneck don't provide the performance alone. Some commitment, expression, thoughtfulness and especially realism are also in order!