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EFFIE GRAY – The Review – We Are Movie Geeks

Review

EFFIE GRAY – The Review

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In just a few weeks the multiplexes will give way to the big, brash Summer blockbusters. Too late for last year’s Oscars (in the US at least) is this historical true-life romantic drama, which, oddly enough, shares several figures and settings from one of last year’s award nominees. MR. TURNER told the story of one of the nineteenth century’s most celebrated painters. Many of that film’s scenes were set at the prestigious  Royal Academy of Art, where the merits of different works were vigorously debated. One of the strongest voices was that of John Ruskin, fellow artist, historian, and critic. Now comes the story that didn’t make it into the Timothy Spall biopic, a scandalous tale concerning the marriage of Mr. Ruskin and the much younger EFFIE GRAY.

At the film opens, the narration tells us of the courtship of now nineteen year-old Effie (Dakota Fanning) and the more nature John (Gerg Wise). They met during her childhood years and  later married in Scotland, and now travel to the Ruskin family estate in London. There Effie is warmly greeted by John’s father (David Suchet) while the matriarch Margaret (Julie Walters) is more than a tad chilly towards the new family member as she rushes to dote on her “angelic boy”. That night, as Effie disrobes, the horrified John shuns her and departs from their bedroom. As the weeks drag on, Effie continues to be neglected. Thankfully, she accompanies John to the formal Royal Academy of Arts dinner. There she meets rising painting star John Everett Millais (Tom Sturridge), and is taken under wing by the academy president Sir Charles Eastlake (James Fox) and his wife (Emma Thompson). Later, on a visit to the Ruskin home, Lady Eastlake tends to the frail, ill Effie, much to the disdain of Margaret. Months pass until John takes Effie on a research trip to Venice. John remains writing in his hotel room while Effie finally experiences joy thanks to a flirtation with one of their hosts. Upon their return home, John hires Millais to paint his portrait outside a waterfall in Scotland. Effie joins the two in a secluded cabin in the forest. As John continues to ignore her, a deep friendship develops between Effie and the young artist. But Effie is trapped in a loveless, abusive marriage with no hope of escape. Or is she…?

Fanning puts her best foot forward as she continues the transition from juvenile roles to more adult characters. She is more successful  than in last year’s THE LAST OF ROBIN HOOD, which was dominated by Sarandon and Kline, but she’s not as compelling as her work as one of THE RUNAWAYS. Perhaps it’s due to the passive nature of Effie, who’s never allowed to indulge fully in her passions or emotions. Luckily she’s still able to project a vulnerability, even in the most shocking scenes. Her best efforts may be opposite Thompson who is almost Effie’s protective, sympathetic older sibling, often maternal. Lady Eastlake injects much-needed humor and spirit into the story, especially in her exchanges with Fox in a marriage of equals, and dear friends, the polar opposite of John and Effie. Wise as John makes the cold intellectual one of the oddest villains we’ve seen on-screen, wishing to possess Effie as trophy, while avoiding any type of affection. His heartlessness is matched by Walters as a mean movie mother to rival Cate Blanchett’s recent CINDERELLA role. She fawns over her son’s every move, but can never muster any civility toward his wife. Sturridge handles the role of the smouldering, desirable other man with ease. The film boasts great small supporting turns by British film vets Robbie Coltraine and Derek Jacobi, plus a most welcome, rare appearance by still radiant sixties screen goddess Claudia Cardinale.

First the good news: this movie looks gorgeous from the costumes to the carriages with wonderful location photography in the wilds of Scotland and along the canals of Venice. Everyone almost glows in the golden sunlight and candlelight. Unfortunately the film’s look overwhelms a fairly lifeless story that never fully engages us. We root for Effie, but it seems like an eternity before she, or anyone else, acts on the slights against her. It isn’t helped by the deceptive marketing of the film. Thompson is featured much more prominently in the ads than Fanning, although she is in only a handful of scenes. Perhaps this is because Thompson provided the film’s screenplay which is not close to her superb work on SENSE AND SENSIBILITY or even the NANNY MCPHEE flicks. Director Richard Laxton fails to breathe life into this true tale, which could be the opposite of a crackling “bodrice-ripper”: (perhaps an “un-ripper”). She’s lovely to gaze upon, but EFFIE GRAY will have you wishing you were in those exotic locales, rather than enduring a long, long visit to the cinema.

1.5 Out of 5

EFFIE GRAY opens everywhere and plays exclusively in the St. Louis area at AMC’s Creve Coeur 12

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Jim Batts was a contestant on the movie edition of TV's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" in 2009 and has been a member of the St. Louis Film Critics organization since 2013.