A ‘Golden’ Film - Woman in Gold

It had been a while since I loved a film with all my heart. That’s the 2015 film, ‘Woman in Gold’. Based on true story, this film tackles the complicated issue of art restitution. In simple terms, it refers to restoration of something to its rightful owner. This is mostly in context of art looted during World War II. So here, Maria Altman (Helen Mirren), an elderly Jewish refugee living in Los Angeles, discovers letters in her sister's possession dating to the late 1940s, after her sister’s death. To her surprise and dismay, the letters reveal an attempt to recover the artwork owned by the Bloch-Bauer family, left behind when they had to leave the country for their life and freedom. The artwork is subsequently stolen by the Nazis. Of particular significance is a portrait of Altmann's aunt, Adele Bloch-Bauer, made by one of Gustav Klimt, one of the most renowned painters of his time. The portrait later came to be known in Austria as the "Woman in Gold".

From here on, the film switches between the flashback and the present.  Maria is reminded of the horrors she and innumerable others like her had to go through during the Holocaust. So after a lot of hesitation and resistance, she opens up her heart to her friend about the painting and how she is giving a thought to reclaiming it. Incidentally her friend’s son, Randy Schoenberg, is a lawyer. Maria has a meeting with the young lawyer and initially dismisses the ridiculous idea (according to her) of even attempting something like this. However, Randy is not the one to chicken out so easily. And obviously, otherwise, how will the film become the film, with all its twists, turns and conflicts? Even after Maria behaving almost borderline rude with him, he keeps the flame burning. What transpires is a fantastic portrayal of how she and Randy fight the government of Austria (Republic of Austria v. Altmann) for almost a decade to reclaim the iconic painting. The portrait, as of now, is a part of the collection at the Neue Galerie in New York.

Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann is simply fantastic. There are absolutely no words to describe this veteran’s performance. She gets the character spot on, with German accent and the sarcasm. She gets it bang on when she says, after her sister’s funeral, while talking to Randy, “Finally, my sister moves in with me. Only, she is dead.” Her resistance towards deciding to reclaim the painting because of the fear of revisiting the dreadful memories is palpable. She breezes through her role with immaculate ease and you become a part of Maria’s life, unbeknownst to you. Randy Schoenberg, played by Ryan Reynolds is a revelation. He is almost broke, he is not very happy with his current job and then he meets Maria. He is completely drawn in by the complicated case. Ryan Reynolds comes across as a perfect ally to the elderly Maria, with his zeal and never-say-die attitude, especially in the latter part of the film. This is where Maria is contemplating quitting the whole thing. But Randy is resilient and toils away, waddling through a bunch of documents and law books.

Along with the lead actors, the screenplay is a star of this film. Written by Alexi Kaye Campbell, it is very-well crafted. It is not jarring despite it oscillating between Maria’s past and the present. Excellent photography by Ross Emery has added to the appeal of the film. Vienna, which is one of the most enchanting cities in Europe, especially, is beautifully captured. All this is beautifully complemented by Hans Zimmer’s music. In a nutshell, for me, it was one of the most amazing films I had ever seen. A truly, ‘golden film’.