Ammonite (Romance-Drama starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan)

[Geode]

Originally Posted by Toscaclarinet

I went into this as a geologist and as a fan of Mary Anning. I knew about the controversy about the manufactured lesbian relationship but wasn't too fussed about that and was willing to give it a go as I found God's Own Country great. Sadly I found the whole thing plodding, with barely any palaeontology at all, and the pretty explicit sex scenes felt out of place with the rest of the film. I ended up actively wanting the couple to stay apart as I felt they didn't understand each other sufficiently to develop a long term relationship.

By contrast, I watched Portrait of a Lady on Fire a few days ago for the first time, and that was a much more interesting film with better chemistry between the leads. I ended up much more invested in the relationship and actually got a little emotional during the final scene. Will definitely rewatch at some point, can't say the same for Ammonite.

I have long had a real problem with movies involving real people that have them doing or saying made up things that are controversial. I especially do not consider it fair when those people are deceased and cannot speak for themselves about the truth of the matter. I too am a geologist and have admired Mary Anning for decades. When I heard that a movie had been made about her I was glad, for in addition to chronicling her work perhaps for once we would get a story that involved invertebrate paleontology and not just the usual fascination with dinosaurs. But then I read an interview with the director saying essentially that because he was gay, he made her the same. Making an affair, either lesbian or heterosexual, as the central part of the plot is simply wrong in my opinion since there is no evidence to support one.

Part of me wished to see this for the casting choices, part of me wanted to boycott it. Thank you for your comments, I will do the latter. It just opened in a theatre here in Bangkok.