Rightfully Mine! “WOMAN IN GOLD” movie review

Running Time: 1 hour and 49 minutes

Rated PG-13

Directed By: Simon Curtis

The painting belongs to Mrs. Altmann’s family.

When Maria Altmann’s sister passes away, she finds some letters in her sister’s belongings. The letters rekindle memories of the iconic painting of their Aunt Adele that was created by Gustav Klimt before the start of WWII. Maria requests that her life-long friend’s son, Randol Schoenberg, advise her on the restitution of art that was confiscated during the Nazi invasion. Randol, a lawyer, who recently moved back to Los Angeles after a failed solo practice effort advises Maria that the task of reclaiming the painting is a full time job and that he recently was hired by a large firm. After some serious thought, Randol decides that he is going to help Maria find justice for crimes that were committed over 50 years in the past and help bring her some peace of mind by reuniting her with what’s rightfully hers.

People see a masterpiece by one of Austria’s finest artists. I see a picture of my aunt. A woman who used to talk to me about life. We should be reunited with what’s rightfully ours.

Bravo! Based on true accounts of Maria Altmann‘s life, Woman in Gold is as masterfully created as the art within its frames. Simon Curtis, known for My Week with Marilyn, weaves an incredible dramatization that toggles between the present day events of 1998 and the 1930’s through beautifully crafted flashbacks. The outstanding cast led by extremely talented Helen Mirren all deserve a nod for their work in bringing this story to life on the big screen. Along with the cast’s intense performances, the soundtrack assists in evoking a variety of emotions with a crescendo towards the end. Unlike many movies based on actual events that involve human injustice, this film uses the implication of human tragedy more than actual scenes of them, focuses on the lead character’s memories, and how she comes to terms with them. The overall experience was priceless and the film is solid gold. Go see it!

Starring:

Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann

Ryan Reynolds as Randol Schoenberg

Daniel Bruhl as Hubertus Czernin

Katie Holmes as Pam Schoenberg

Tatiana Maslany as Young Maria Altmann

Max Irons as Frederick ‘Fritz’ Altmann

Charles Dance as Sherman

Allan Corduner as Gustav Bloch-Bauer

Henry Goodman as Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer

Nina Kunzendorf as Therese Bloch-Bauer

and Antje Traue as Adele Bloch-Bauer