A film by Mona Fastvold
With: Amanda Seyfried, Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie, Matthew Beard, Christopher Abbott, David Cale, Stacy Martin, Scott Handy, Jeremy Wheeler, Tim Blake Nelson
An epic fable about religious leader Ann Lee, the founding leader of the Shaker Movement, who was proclaimed by her followers as the female Christ and went on to build one of the largest utopian societies in American history. Lee–one of the rare female religious heads at the time– and her followers worshipped through exuberant song and dance.
Our rate 1: ****
Mona Fastvold (and Brady Corbet, her husband) venture into an ambitious project and deliver a powerful formal proposal that cannot fail to make an impression: a sensory mass with an extraordinarily crafted visual and sound universe. It already seems clear that The Testament of Ann Lee is bound to win an award for its radicalism and execution. Perhaps not the Golden Lion, as the motif repeated ad nauseam could have been endless, but at the very least the Best Actress award would go to Amanda Seyfried for her dazzling performance. Sumptuous in every shot, the cinematography and choreography are worth the price of admission alone. Everything seems like a moving painting, somewhere between the Flemish school and Caravaggism, with the pastel tones of the costumes highlighted by contrasts and the sweeping movements of characters in constant transition—an effect probably intended for the viewer. The musical atmosphere itself is intoxicating, again to the point of excess, and stays with us long after the film, whether we like it or not. Necessarily, this very messianic, at the very least religious, even esoteric approach can be repulsive, especially since the narrative otherwise seems to stagnate, dwelling on the figure of Ann Lee without necessarily seeking to progress, in order to better relay it in the background. For The Testament of Ann Lee is more to be received as a musical piece, as a performance, than as a story, even if the background of the canvas bears many similarities to the birth of the United States of America as such, and thus joins in this respect with the greater history. While the project is sure to divide opinion, we greatly appreciate that the Mostra has invited this unique undertaking, this large-scale production that is out of fashion and out of the ordinary, to its grand event, especially since we cannot say the same for all the films in competition and the other major productions selected, which are much closer to the industry standards.
Our rate 2: –
Be First to Comment