Woman in Gold

I am very restless.  Sometimes I feel the walls closing in on me and I have to go somewhere and do something.  I am also a night owl.  Whenever this mood comes over me you can usually find me at a late movie at the Broadway, my favorite art house theatre.  Last night when I checked the Salt Lake Film Society website, I noticed that Woman in Gold was playing and I got very excited!  I've been looking forward to this film because it combines two things I enjoy: history and art!  Also, who can resist Helen Mirren?  It tells the true story of Maria Altmann (Mirren) and her attempt to reclaim a Gustav Klimt painting of her aunt, stolen from her family by the Nazis, from the Austrian government.  She is aided by Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), a young lawyer and family friend who is first motivated by money (the painting is worth hundreds of millions) but eventually must come to terms with what the Nazis did to his own family (he is the grandson of composer Arthur Schoenberg).  I thought it was a lovely film and I particularly enjoyed the scenes where Maria and Randy visit Vienna (one of my favorite cities) and must confront the demons of their past, including flashbacks of the young Maria (Tatiana Maslany) fleeing from the Nazis and a particularly affecting scene where Randy attends a concert featuring his grandfather's music.  Mirren can always be relied upon for a great performance, especially as an imperious but strangely lovable older woman, but I was quite impressed by Reynolds, who is usually hit or miss with me.  He more than held his own with Dame Helen Mirren, especially in the scene where he begs Maria to continue the fight.  I recommend this movie for an enjoyable evening out (or as an escape from the four walls that are closing in on you).

Note:  I guess this feeling comes over me a lot!  The attendant at the parking garage next to the theatre always recognizes me (usually after midnight) and asks me what film I've just seen!