We always knew that "Mr Turner" would not be a conventional costume picture any more than it would be a conventional biopic. It is, after all, a Mike Leigh film and Mr Leigh doesn't do 'conventional'. Of course, he normally concerns himself with the vagaries of contemporary middle-class culture, poking fun at, and then finding the bleeding heart of, the little people who inhabit his very personal world. (Leigh is, perhaps, the only writer/director who can crack us up and break our hearts simultaneously).
"Mr Turner" isn't the first time he has looked to the past nor to real historical figures for his material. With "Topsy-Turvy" he created the world of Gilbert and Sullivan and 'The Mikado'. As musical biopics go it is, perhaps, unique. Now with "Mr Turner" he takes us deep into the life of William Turner, arguably the first great 'modern' painter and almost certainly the greatest of all English painters, and in doing so has created the least stuffy costume picture I have ever seen. Of the several masterpieces Leigh has given us "Mr Turner" may be the finest.
Mike Leigh is a supremely good director. He allows time for the story. He does not go if for quick cutting - scenes are long and we watch the actors move as though from the far side of the room. This is a relaxing and engaging technique that aspiring directors would do well to copy. His screenplay provides the backbone to the whole film, and it is crafted so well - capturing just who this man Turner is.
Despite the lack of narrative, this film is beautiful. Each line of dialogue is crafted to perfection, each idiom and accent perfectly matching the style of the time. Personally though I feel this could have been so much more, a slight cut down on the run time and some more emphasis on Turner's conflict to protect his work for public viewing - central to the Tate Gallery - matched with the beauty already present would have confirmed this as a masterpiece.
Overal it's a beautiful movie, but not everyone can enjoy it. I like it, it's not amazing. The cast in the main give an excellent performance, Timothy Spall and Dorothy Atkinson in particular were both superb.
Mine : 8/10
IMDB: 7/10
Rotten tomatoes : 96%
Metacritics : 93%
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