Review of Woman in Gold (2015) by Matt G — 16 Apr 2015

Woman in Gold is not a "bad" film, but it's much too safe to be remarkable or memorable. Depending on your mood and expectations, you could be either bored or charmed by its calm nature, and either option would be accurate. The quiet sentimentalism gently and even pleasantly washes over you. In the end, though, its complete lack of challenge or surprise to its audience is yawn-inducing. Emotionally tidy and cinematically underwhelming, WiG is sorely lacking impact and color.

This genericism stems from the setup: an overly-curious whipper-snapper (Reynolds) helps a fiery older woman (Mirren) correct the past. It's been done. However, with Mirren leading the show, grace and class always co-mingles with spirit and sharpness. Even Reynolds, whose forced facial expressions and line deliveries often negatively affect his performances, is refreshingly nondescript. Their characters, however, are complex-less, with arcs that feel more forced than fleshed out. More comic-relief and less overly serious pondering would help, but with the self-righteous score and incessant flashbacks, the core narrative is slowed to an expositional bore.

The true story of these two misfits taking on the Austrian government is anything but lifeless. The incredible legal proceedings are interesting and fun, and it isn't hard to get roused up by the inherent injustice of the atrocities of WWII. Unfortunately, this complex true-life story is told in a decidedly un-complex fashion. If you don't see many movies, the overused tropes and storytelling tricks may work thanks to the good performances an amazing story. Otherwise, WiG will most likely just feel like a lifeless rehash, more bothered with bad Hollywood coincidences than reality.