As you dig through Moviefone looking for something or anything to see on a Saturday night, you come across "Woman in Gold." Okay, it's Helen Mirren. It will probably be artsy. It will likely be boring. But, it certainly won't be garbage. You plunk down 15 bucks and hope for the best.
And, indeed, the surprise was all mine. Because "Woman in Gold" was more than just passable entertainment. It was damn good and a story well worth telling, hearing, and seeing.
These days, any true story in life has a chance of being made into a motion picture. And I swear that most films are usually started with the slide that says "inspired by true events." But, in "Woman in Gold," you've got a true tale that is worth relating. It's a story that I knew nothing about, despite the fact that I later learned the two people involved actually gave a talk at my church ten years ago. Huh? I must have missed that lecture.
"Woman in Gold" tells the saga of Maria Altmann, who, during the Nazi occupation of Austria, was a young bride forced to leave her home country and her parents. The depiction of that flight is told in flashbacks and is as harrowing a fifteen minutes as ever was shown on the screen. The notion that those people who did not get away met untimely ends in concentration camps is sobering and incredibly sad. But, Maria was one of the lucky ones and she got to thrive in a long life, safely nestled in Los Angeles, California.
There is, however, unfinished business for Maria in the year 1998. Her aunt Adele sat for a painting almost 75 years before and it became one of the most iconic pieces of art in Austria. It was done by Gustav Klimt and was confiscated by the art-loving Nazis, only to later turn up in an art gallery. Maria feels the painting belongs to her family and she wants it.
Enter up-and-coming attorney Randy, just embarking on his law career and impressed by Maria's case. He's even more enthused when he learns that the Klimt portrait is worth a hundred million dollars. Maria and Randy team up to fight the odds in both Austria and Los Angeles, ultimately taking the case all the way to the US Supreme Court. By the way, the woman they got to portray Ruth Bader Ginsburg is much more attractive than the real-life old hag. I'm just sayin'.
So, you've got flashbacks of a great WWII escape and current-day courtroom drama that is riveting. As a result, it's impossible to look away from the screen in this expertly directed tale by filmmaker Simon Curtis, who gets to use his wife, Elizabeth McGovern of "Downton Abbey" fame, in a small role as a compassionate judge.
While the story itself is drama enough, "Woman in Gold" is elevated even higher by the top-notch acting offered by the always reliable Helen Mirren and the surprisingly adept Ryan Reynolds as the lawyer. There's never been a more unlikely screen pairing but it works perfectly.
I understand from my pastor, who attended the talk by the real Maria and Randy a decade or so, that she didn't believe Maria's argument had any merit. I don't want to give away the ending, but, obviously, there is a happy resolution. Nevertheless, there is still room for discussion on whether or not Maria should have actually moved the painting from the country which had adored it for years.
Still, this is one more element that shows what a good movie "Woman in Gold" really is. You get a fascinating story, some terrific acting, and a thought-provoking aftermath. To me, that's well worth the money. And, in the middle of Hollywood doldrums, a surprising evening out at the cinema.
All that plus I couldn't get this stupid joke out of my head.
"If Gustav Klimt had married Heidi Klume, she'd be Heidi Klume Klimt."
LEN'S RATING: Three-and-a-half stars.
Dinner last night: Leftover Balsamic chicken.
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