Mr. Turner

Always about a month behind being able to see current films living here, but have just watched Mr. Turner at the local cinema. I thought it beautifully filmed in the way the lighting mirrored Turner's use of light. Timothy Spall portrayed an unpleasant and selfish man very well. Overall thought it very absorbing and not too long. Loved the gooseberry scene for it's depiction of formal victorian conversational inanity.

Four Stars.

He had learning disabilities of some kind and just kept shouting out [mainly laughing] .

Thank you Tegan and Jane. I like biographies so I'd probably enjoy it. Did anyone see Alan Yentob interviewing the author Coim Tobin in the series Imagine the other night? It was fascinating.

Have to confess Tegan, I'm curious as to what the person shouting was shouting in the cinema!

'It'sh is due to the fact that I'm using a new mouse and it seems to be having a breakdown....

I think if you admire Turner and know something about his life already, you would enjoy the film Annie

I'm afraid I don't like watching films with lots of suspense, or where I'm struggling to work out the twists and turns of a complicated plot, so the relative lack of one in Mr Turner was something of a bonus for me. I love reading biographies, so perhaps that's why I liked the film.

I missed Boyhood.I think you need to see Mr Turner, because it's a film to see on the big screen.I asked the S.O. if he thought that our perception of the film was changed by the fact that someone kept shouting throughout the film, but he said he wouldn't have enjoyed it anyway.It's such a marmite film that, if you are someone that enjoys it, it would be a pity not to have seen it at a cinema.

In two minds whether to go now, even though I admire Turner and know a bit about him!

I liked All is Lost though it was quite long. I thought Robert Redford acted superbly and although the procession of dire events that meant his situation got worse and worse was a little predictable, the way in which he dealt with each was interesting. (Maybe it helps if you're a practical person who likes finding solutions to practical/technical problems!). The ending was a little trite!

No one's mentioned Boyhood, Richard Linklater's film. I was very apprehensive as it is 3 hours long but I was riveted and went to see it again with a friend. So much depends on the director's skill.

How many people's lives could actually be said to have a "plot". Surely many people's lives are a series of sometimes unplanned and random events.

In a fictional screenplay, the writer has control of the subject matter. He/she will tend to include elements that provide structure, pace and dramatic tension - a mystery to be solved, a problem to be resolved, a goal to be achieved, etc., etc. - often neatly tied up at the end.

Some biopic/"true story" screenwriters do play fast and loose with actual events and characters in order to make the film more appealing to filmgoers but they are then often criticised for misrepresenting what actually happened.

We went to see this last night and were riveted! Having read reviews on here I was apprehensive, as my OH isn't 'into' art as much as I am and I had visions of him huffing and puffing throughout, but he enjoyed it immensely, too. I had warned him how long it was and alerted him to some of the negative reviews!

When we came out we both said that we'd like to see it again, but I'd like to read a bit more about Turner first to put events and people in context, as I did find it a bit confusing at times.

I don't understand the comments regarding lack of plot! Am I missing something?

Just got back from seeing Mr Turner, we were a bit concerned after reading some of the comments. But we watched the Mike Leigh interview and decided to go.

We thought it was very good. I loved the sets and period artefacts. It probably helps if you have an interest in history and art. We didn't notice the time. X

Benjamin Hayden (1786-1846) who committed suicide aged 60

By the way, who was the artist that Turner lent money to? Was he just in the film to show Turners generous side?

It's fine for a film not to have a storyline but it has to flow; there can't be times when you start to feel fidgety. Too many people have said they felt bored with it for it to be a good film, and not many films have people walk out part way through when they've paid to see it. I was surprised to hear Mike Leigh say that the film was made on a very tight budget; it certainly didn't look as though it had. I just wish that the Royal Academy Exhibition scenes were done to link the film in such a way that the passage of time was made clearer. I hadn't realised that the film spanned 25 years [or so I read somewhere]. Having watched parts of the film last night in the Mike Leigh programme I think I'd enjoy watching it at home on the sofa with a cup of tea but I just felt bored in the cinema.

I've just watched the Mike Leigh programme - very good. I remember very well watching the TV film "Grown Ups" in about 1972. It had me absolutely exploding with laughter. I wish they'd show it again.

I like Mike Leigh's films a lot but some of them are very depressing. My favourite is "Secrets and Lies" - very sad in parts but also funny. Brenda Blethyn was brilliant.

Re plotlines and biopics- a friend of mine went to see Lincoln and when he was shot, the two women behind her gasped in horror and said 'oh I didnt know that was going to happen'

I wonder why the criticism of there being no "plot" or storyline to Mr Turner. Have we become too accustomed to fictionalised history? Examples I am thinking of include films such as "Braveheart" which was utter tosh, "Enigma" which had America responsible for winning WWII, even "The Imitation Game " which contains factual inaccuracies presumably "for the sake of a good story". I also question the glamorisation of historical figures, I imagine because few film stars want to appear ugly or dowdy. Keira Knightley is much too glam for the character she played and her role is given much more importance than the real character. I think that was one of the reasons I did enjoy MrTurner. And I also learned more about Turner and his amazing bequest to the nation!

BBC1; 22:35

I think there's a programme about Mike Leigh on the telly tonight.

DH and I went to see it and I thought it was beautifully filmed, but I thought his relationship with some of the other characters was a bit hazy and could have been explored a bit more. Wonderful cast. Interested to see the likes of Lee Ingolby (George Gently and Chester Zoo) had a very brief non-speaking role in it. But yes, it was long. I was worried the loved one would be bored out of his britches, but he actually enjoyed it - said he likes films that don't make demands on him! At least he didn't go to sleep - he's done that before now.

philly that's what I was told. My friend didn't make it to the end. It put me off seeing it.

I felt the film and the subject 'deserved' more [which is possibly why I can't seem to let it go]. It was like watching a film adaptation of a Dickens book that had lots of characters but no plot. I do watch and enjoy films with no narrative and no plot [eg Holy Motors] but I felt this one needed more structure.

Went to see it last night. Visually stunning and the acting was superb but I could not wait for it to end - it was SOOO boring- just no point in it- no story at all.

Someone I spoke to a couple of days ago said two of her friends went to see it and walked out halfway through. They'd wanted to leave sooner but felt it would have been a bit rude to do so. I did know quite a lot about Turner before I saw the film and just felt it should have given me an even greater insight into his character. I don't think it explained his relationship with his daughters and their mother at all [I may have missed something] and the relationship with his housekeeper could have been done in a slightly more subtle way. It's taken me several days to understand the humour in the comment 'it's a buoy' at the Academy Exhibition [that was funny in retrospect]. I'd like to see someone else to re edit the film in a more coherent way with more narrative. It's turning into a very Marmite film, isn't it!

I saw this film last week I really loved it. I know it has divided opinion friends of ours didn't like it all. Mike Leigh's films can be ponderous at times, but sometimes, for me anyway, that adds to their overall quirkiness. I also loved Another Year.

I'm not sure the Americans could produce such a work, I like the way Mike Leigh draws from a pool of acting talent that aren't always known for their good looks. In the case of Mr Turner it gave a more authentic feel about that period.

Not knowing that much about Turner I have Googled him since seeing the film and it does seem that a lot of the events as depicted by Mike Leigh were accurate. I also had no idea of the staggering body of work he produced in his lifetime some 20,000 paintings I believe.

I think I would enjoy watching this film again in a couple of years time when it pops up on television.

I saw it the other night and enjoyed it. It didn't seem like 2.5 hours!
I didn't enjoy watching the sex scene, but it was essential to give an accurate portrayal of the relationship between the housekeeper and Turner.