Possession Review
by Shannon Patrick Sullivan (shannon AT morgan DOT ucs DOT mun DOT ca)September 13th, 2002
POSSESSION (2002) / *** 1/2
Directed by Neil LaBute. Screenplay by David Henry Hwang, Laura Jones and LaBute, based on the novel by AS Byatt. Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jeremy Northam. Running time: 103 minutes. Rated AA by the MFCB. Reviewed on September 6th, 2002.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: University research assistant Roland Mitchell (Eckhart) is studying the writings of 19th-century poet laureate Randolph Henry Ash (Northam) when he discovers pages of a handwritten letter hidden in one of Ash's old books. Ash was renowned for his fidelity to his wife, but the letter suggests that he had a brief liaison with another woman. As Mitchell continues to investigate, he encounters icy academic Maud Bailey (Paltrow), whose ancestor, poet Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle), may have been Ash's secret lover.
Review: What's most remarkable about "Possession" is that it deals with such apparently clinical subject matter, and yet by the end of the first hour is seething with underlying passion. And the movie works unexpectedly well on both levels. As a sort of scholarly mystery, "Possession" appeals on an essentially cerebral level, although it's suspenseful enough. It's interesting to watch Maud and Roland unravel Ash's secret history, and the film also offers an interesting -- if somewhat melodramatic -- glimpse at the sometimes cutthroat world of academia. But LaBute is equally effective handling both the modern and historical romances, no doubt aided by the fact that they follow parallel courses. In both cases, the relationships are so restrained throughout the early part of the movie that when passions finally do boil over, it's infinitely more stirring than the typical Hollywood scenario of two strangers who sleep together on the first date. Paltrow and Eckhart are fine in the contemporary scenes, although the opacity of their characters works against them. Even better are Northam and Ehle, who provide measured colour to the flashbacks. LaBute does an expert job of mixing "Nancy Drew"-style sleuthing -- including a treasure hunt through the dark and dusty upper floors of an old castle -- with the sumptuous stylings of a BBC period drama.
Copyright © 2002 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
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