Review of Possession (1981) by Kiri B — 31 Jan 2008

Best in Show: Aaron Eckhart.

One for the future: Aaron Eckhart (*swoon*).

Stand-out scene: Cave dive.

Brainer or no-brainer: Brainer.

Stands up to one viewing or repeated?: Repeated.

DVD commentary any good?: Some hilarious gaffes on the commentary from the director: there being nothing but sea between Whitby and the US (?) and Britain being gripped by an outbreak of Mad Cow Disease in 2001 - it was Foot and Mouth Disease!

The amorous activities of two Victorian poets does not sound much like the basis for an intriguing movie, but this strange fish of an offering which passed unnoticed upon its release in 2001 turns out to be a well-made and fairly gripping effort. Two modern-day academics pool their knowledge to get to the bottom of a hitherto clandestine romantic dalliance after a visiting American boffin (Aaron Eckhart - beefcake extraordinaire) discovers documents hinting at a tryst in a musty journal at a reference library. Seeking the help of Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow), who specialises in the career of the female half of the alliance, the two soon find themselves falling for one another as they probe further and further into the two poets' relationship. With Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle as the lovestruck poets and Lena Headey as Ehle's character's lesbian lover (it all ends in tears), this has an impressive cast. Trevor Eve even puts in an appearance (plus American accent), with his Waking the Dead co-star Holly Aird also featuring as the male poet's frigid wife. There's some great use of primary colours and clever story framing devices that marks director Neil LaBute as a new(ish) director to watch. His early work Your Friends and Neighbours was a very different project to this yet they're both successful in their own way revealing a range to the director's work that so many modern day helmspersons seem to lack. I'm intrigued at what he'll do with the remake of The Wicker Man (in post-production as I write). We can but guess. An underrated gem.