Based on the story of Maria Altmann, a Jewish woman that survives the Second World War. She goes in a long quest for restoring her family's article and valuable things that the government believes them to be a national heritage.
Director Simon Curtis is lucky to have Helen Mirren on hand, since she can turn the film's art history speeches into something that sounds like conversation. But the screenplay doesn't do either of them any favors.
A minor entry into the canon of Harvey Weinstein auteur theory, a film that has particularly strong moments undercut by uneven character development as the story loses focus.
Despite a debatable focus and dubious moralizing -money plays a pivotal role in the final outcome - "The Woman in Gold" works, largely because of the odd-couple chemistry between Mirren and Reynolds.
A handsome production design and some heartfelt performances in minor roles deliver incidental pleasures but the film as a whole feels like a wasted opportunity.
Director Simon Curtis milks the predictable drama, thrills and heartache of the Holocaust-era story, but it's a paint-by-numbers triumph, a copy of something we've seen many times before.
With Gold, Curtis does justice to a fascinating story with far-reaching political and cultural implications. He helms with a sensitive hand, while maintaining a healthy pace.