Customer Reviews

Possession [VHS]

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

"Possession" is one of the most romantic movies I have ever seen, alongside Tom Tykwer's "Heaven." A double-edged tale of love, passion, and words that can entice or betray, this is one of the few masterful films that actually brought tears to my eyes. Wonderful acting, beautiful direction, and one of the most amazing love stories ever seen in a movie.

Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart), a brash young American scholar, is studying an old book of the famed poet William Randolph Ash when he encounters an old love letter. After some digging, he theorizes that it was addressed to the more obscure poet Christabel LaMonte -- but both poets were either married or in a long-term relationship. If he's right, it would rock the literary world. He seeks the help of Maud Bailey, a cold feminist scholar who has a particular fondness for Christabel's work. Maud tries to bring him down to earth by explaining that Christabel was a lesbian, but Roland is undaunted.

They travel to Christabel's old home and unearth a cache of letters between Ash and Christabel, hidden away by her lover. It tells of a love affair that was doomed from the start: The correspondence first inspired respect, then friendship, then a burning love. Finally, Ash (Jeremy Northam) and Christabel (Jennifer Ehle) escape to the countryside for a few weeks alone. Those few weeks will mar the rest of their lives...

Like all adaptations, "Possession" strays a bit from its original work (Roland is made American rather than English, many supporting characters are omitted). But the spirit and tone of the story are close to the book. The core of the story is words. Words that are hidden and words that reveal, words that could change a person's life or perceptions -- depending on whether they are read by the one they are intended for. Even the name of a little child can change a man's life, and his perception of the woman he loves.

But more than that, it's an illustration of love in its different forms: There is the passion of the soulmates, Ash and Christabel; and there is the gradual warming and closeness between Maud and Roland. As Randolph Ash says, "There are many kinds of love." Even though the modern love story is okay by movie standards, it's pale and insubstantial compared to the Victorian love story. (Maybe this is because Maud and Roland have the POSSIBILITY of a deep attachment, whereas Ash and Christabel have full-fledged, undeniable feelings). This film isn't afraid to show love in all its glory and beauty, its pain and intensity.

The direction is beautiful and stately, with the shots of waterfalls and majestic old houses. And Neil LaBute is amazing at choreographing little hints of tension and attraction. He handles the shifting from one era to another expertly; one wonderful scene pans away from Maud and Roland, to rest on Christabel.

Aaron Eckhart does a solid job as Roland; he's pretty charming and twinkly-eyed, but not outstanding. Gwyneth Paltrow has a little trouble making Maud sympathetic, but she manages it (sort of). It's Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle who steal the show. They radiate emotion, so much so that merely glancing at one another has significance and substance. Lena Heady and Holly Aird also give moving, if brief, performances as Blanche Glover (Christabel's ex-lover) and Ellen Ash (Ash's wife).

This is a movie for lovers and true romantics, those who can appreciate the beauty of the love story. While not perfect, it's a haunting and beautiful story, one of the most moving romantic movies I've ever seen. Highly recommended.

"No mere human can stand in a fire and not be consumed."

While doing research in the British Museum, Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart) discovers letters written by Randolph Ash who had an affair with a lesser-known poetess, Christabel LaMotte.

Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow) knows Christabel's poems by heart and Randolph seeks her out as an expert to help him figure out why a "chaste spinster" and the "married Randolph Ash" never revealed their love to the world. He has one clue, a love letter.

Christabel and Randolph's love is based on a common love of literature and intellectual discussions, poetry and passion. They are like minds that somehow connected and together they find immense happiness despite their circumstances. Although they fight their attraction to one another, they eventually create a world of turmoil and tragedy.

Gwyneth and Aaron have a subtle chemistry but it is not "quite" the mingling of spirits that occurs with Christabel (Jennifer Ehle) and Randolph (Jeremy Northam) and yet there are enough sparks to keep them interested.

"I want to see if there is an us in you and me."

Is passion worth the turmoil and upheaval? Is this the tangle most people want? While the story of the poets is only a memory, Maud and Roland are just starting their journey and are fortunately single when they meet.

Maud and Roland lurk about in divine libraries searching for clues and discover old letters and journals. They are intoxicated by the thought that they can actually solve this mystery. They must conceal their true purpose while searching for clues.

They spend time reading the letters to each other, which is the most romantic "modern" part of this movie. The Victorian "flash backs" are much more entertaining on all levels.

The Victorian romance in this movie is wonderful, but the modern romance is much more subtle. Yet, who would not want to have a man read you poetry in bed?

Adapted from A.S. Byatt's novel by the same name. The movie is not the passionate fire the name suggests. However, this movie will possess you intellectually from start to finish.

Thoughtful Romance with an element of mystery.

~The Rebecca Review

"Possession" is one of those movies where as soon as it is over you want to go out and read the novel upon which it is based the better to be able to enjoy the full tapestry of the story. Reading A. S. Byatt's 1990 Booker Prize-winning novel would also allow you to better appreciate the adaptation by David Henry Hwang, Laura Jones and director Neil LaBute, which offers some interesting and creative approaches, both in terms of the story and how it is portrayed cinematically.

The story is essentially a romantic mystery. American Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart) is working as an assistant to a literature professor in London doing research on Randolph Henry Ash (Jeremy Northam), a poet Laureate during the reign of Queen Victoria. Roland discovers some letters from Ash that suggest the poet, a paragon of devotion with regards to his wife, had a romantic relationship with Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle), a minor poet and apparent lesbian, at least according to the historical record that exists. Roland enlists Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow), a English scholar who studies LaMotte, and the two begin their journey as literary detectives.

Of course a romantic relationship will develop between Roland and Maud as they are caught up in revealing the past of Randolph and Christabel. However, I have to admit that I was much more interested in the detective work unlocking the secrets of the lovers from the past than the slowly developing romance between the two scholars. Actually, I was much more interested in the romance of the two lovers in the past rather than in the present. This is not only because my academic interests are extremely sympathetic with unraveling the meaning of ancient texts, but also because the two poets have more hurdles to overcome in the romance department. After all, Eckhart and Paltrow are so good looking that their physical union is no more in doubt than their intellectual coming together. This film might actually have benefited from having less better looking leds in terms of this particular story.

LaBute gets points for the rather seamless way that he shifts back and forth between the past and the present as letters and locations allow us to slip back and forth between the two. I also have a real affection for films that still do the old trick of having stage hands move things around so that a total transformation is achieved on a set within a single panning shot back and forth. But what makes "Possession" so memorable is the powerful final scene and the haunting final shot, which is where this 2002 film achives its own sense of the poetic.

I am hard pressed to explain why I am only giving this film four stars given how much I like it; my best guess is because the film is only 102 minutes long and because this is a literary adaptation I cannot help but think this is the abridged version. There are a few deleted scenes available on the DVD, but they do not indicate anything substantial missing from the film. I also wanted to lose myself more in the story of Randolph and Christabel, and the Victorian world in which they lived. I really liked this film, but what I really wanted was to love it.

I must disagree with the scathing reviews I have read here. I have become very jaded with movies...a long line of endless clones blending together. This movie stood out from the crowd!
I was totally captivated and am throughly enchanted each time I watch it. I love the skillful way in which the producer entertwined the past with the present. It was as though the past love affair had transcended time to envelope the modern couple. They recognized the love of the past couple and came to experience it themselves.
I could feel how spellbound the modern couple was in discovering the details of the past, and how it affected them as a couple falling in love. The way the new loves went to the same places and viewed the same scenery with the same awe was very well done. You could sense them moving through the same stages of their love affair, although their circumstances were different.
I disagree that the modern couple was not perfectly cast.
They were the perfect contrast and made the victorian couple all the more entralling. I found all 4 actors/actresses completely believable and perfect for the story. They all possessed a sensualness and passion that was quite palpable.
The love scenes were very tastefully done and not at all vulgar and explicit as some are these days.
The first time that I saw this movie, I found myself caught up in both romances...feeling the longing, joy, and dispair of starcrossed lovers; feeling the trepidation, yet excitement,
and overwhelming pull of the new love as they discovered not only the love of the past, but their own growing love.
I think this movie shows how love transcends time. It also shows that our lives and love impacts others sometimes in ways that we never know and lend assurance that though we are born and die, love perseveres.
I was hooked from the first moment and wasn't bored for an instant. I am now eager to read the book that inspired this movie. I commend the writer for this marvel of a story; as well as the director and actors for their portrayal of this mesmerizing story.
The scenery was breathtaking and contributed to the overall feel of sensualness and passion.
In my opinion, this movie should win all sorts of awards.
This movie is probably my favorite movie of all time. It left me feeling that although the victorian couple had only a short time together...they were always in love. The modern couple learned from that past love and didn't have the same obstacles...their love was enriched by the love of the past.

One of the protagonists of this movie says that "No mere human can stand in a fire and not be consumed". In a way, that reflects the dilemma of the main four characters in their quest for love and passion. Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart) and Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow), experts in English literature, discover a link between Randolph Henry Ash (Jeremy Northam) and Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle), through a letter one of them stole. As they investigate how important the link between those well-known Victorian poets was, a relationship begins to grow between them, despite the fact that neither of them was eager to start a relationship. But what are the differences between these couples?. It is easy to see that Ash and Christabel plunge into a love affair and are somehow consumed by it and its consequences. On the other hand, Ronald and Maud are so aware of the possible emotional consequences of a failed relationship that they don't want to run the risk of heartache, and thus try to avoid the "fire" that true passion involves.

As you probably already noticed, this film doesn't have one love story: it has two. One takes place in the Victorian period, and the other in our times, but both are closely linked. The question is: can a love affair from the past bring a modern couple together?. And if so, how, and why?. The plot is pretty simple, but well developed. The director (Neil LaBute) somehow managed to reflect the progress of both love stories at the same time, so the spectator cannot help but compare the way in which both relationships developed, and the conventions that were important in each time. I specially liked the role that the letters that Ash and Christabel sent each other (and that Roland and Maud discovered) played in the film. They were truly engaging, and the perfect complement for the uniformly good acting and the perfect English scenery.

On the whole, I think this is a good movie, but not a great one. It lacks that "something" that makes a viewer remember a movie well after watching it. Despite that, not all movies can be unforgettable classics. Sometimes, if they are at least a good way to pass time and relax, that is enough. In my opinion, that is the case here. If you like a good romance story with some elements of literature and poetry, try this movie: you'll have a good time :)

Belen Alcat

"Possession" directed by Neil LaBute starring Gwyneth Paltrow was the last thing in the world I ever expected to enjoy watching. I only saw this film because I had already seen everything that was playing in my local theathre except this. I was bored wanted to go out, so I figured, why not?
I had no clue what this film was about, so everything that took place just suprised me. And, maybe that was the best way to see this film. "Possession" is a film, I just love! The movie brims with passion. It's such a tender, gentle, extremely well crafted love story, that to resist it, one has to have no life flowing through their veins. It was a suprise hit, that makes me sad to think, not many people will go see this movie. It's something the American public will deem, to "arty".
"Possession" tells the story of how two people, Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart) and Maud Baily (Gwyneth Paltrow) trace down an unknown love affair that took place 100 years ago between two Victorian poets; Randolph Ash (Jeremy Northam) and Christable LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle). As the two of them unravel this mystery they themselves start to fall in love also. Now, of course I can't go into any more detail of the plot then I already have. To do so would merely ruin the whole experince for you.
"Possession" is so beautifully told, it's director, Neil LaBute, a director whom I've never watched a movie by, really handled the material with such simplicity that to do it any other way, the story would come off as being forced. The movie just seems to flow, like a good poem it almost carries a lyrical motif. The acting, the cinematography by Jean-Yves Escoffier is so perfect that I just fell under the film's spell.
"Possession" is one of the year's best films and is a film I can only hope will receieve a few Oscar nominations when the time comes. Gwyneth Paltrow, an actress who I usually don't like does a wonderful job. So far it's one of the best performances I've seen an actress give this year. And the screenplay by LaBute, Laura Jones & David Henry Hwang should also get nominated for their adaptation of A.S. Byatt's novel.
Everyone should try to go see this movie. Take a quick break from the loud summer action movies we've been subjected to these past months and enjoy what this film has to offer. You'll be pleased in the end.
Bottom-line: "Possession" is a movie swelling with passion. It's absorbing, sometimes tragic love story carries you away with it. It's one of the year's best films!

Disclaimer: I have neither read the original novel by A.S. Byatt (though now I definitely plan to) nor have I seen the French Lieutenant's Woman. By only basis for comparison is as a neutral viewer, though admittedly one with a preference for romantic comedies.

Having said that, I was completely mesmerized and swept away by this movie. From the first note of the subtle yet soothingly rich score, Possession just draws you in - a love story set in two different eras with evolving standards for love. It's really a simple story, but it delves into the different and often heartbreaking facets of love. Jennifer Ehle delivers one of the main lines and themes of the movie, "No one can stand in a fire and not be consumed." We see how love can both devour and awaken a person, and how beautifully twisted it is.

Though Gwyneth Paltrow headlines the movie, it really belongs to the two leading actors - Aaron Eckhart and Jeremy Northam. Aaron Eckhart, in my opinion, really gives a standout performance. His performances in Erin Brockovich and Nurse Betty were good, but he seemed to be stuck in one-dimensional roles that hardly showcased his talent. In Possession, he finally breaks out of his white-trash male persona to amazing results. He actually lets us see his face sans beard (and it is fiiine and chiseled!) and into the soul of what we ladies desire - the sensitive alpha male. Jeremy Northam once again epitomizes the quintessential Englishman of yesteryear - regal, handsome, and genteel. It's truly an irresistable combination. Jennifer Ehle is wonderful as always. She showcases why she was last year's Tony Award winner for Best Lead Actress. She provides the passion, the heart that Gwyneth Paltrow's character invariably lacks.

This movie is perfect for a Friday night with your man or one of your girlfriends. The scenery alone is worth the trip - the shots of Yorkshire are really breathtaking. Who knew dreary England could be so lush and beautiful? It honestly makes you want to book a trip, a honeymoon to England. Let yourself be caught up in this movie - you'll be glad you did when the lights go on and you realized you forgot to breathe.

A rose by any other name is still a rose; and so it is with love. And whether or not history reflects any of the great love stories of the past accordingly and/or contextually correct, it does not alter the fact of it. The rose of the romance four generations later, for example, may become known as the lily; neither does that alter the fact of what was, nor of what is, all of these decades later, indelibly etched upon the mind's eye of eternity. "Possession," directed by Neil LaBute, is just such a story, within a story; one the actual passion of which may have been inadvertently diminished, however, through the misinterpretation of the chroniclers who years before set it all down in annals made figuratively of stone, and which, once set, forever after endured. A romantic film of an even more romantic notion, it's a twofold tale of love, the stories of which, though separated by generations, are in the end, in nature one and the same. Because, as this film so richly reveals, love indeed lives eternal, and is borne on the very same flame throughout the ages.

Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart), an American, is in London on a fellowship researching the life and work of 19th Century poet Randolph Henry Ash (Jeremy Northam), poet laureate to Queen Victoria. History recognizes Ash as a dedicated and faithful husband, and his love poems-- purportedly written to or about his wife-- are considered to be among his most noteworthy accomplishments. In the course of his studies, however, Michell happens across some passionate letters written by Ash to a woman; a woman who is, without question, not his wife. And all evidence points to poetess Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle) as being the receiver of the letters-- and of Ash's affections.

Galvanized by the thought that he may have discovered something that would change history, he seeks out Dr. Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow), currently doing research of her own on LaMotte, in hopes that she will assist him in his quest to uncover the truth about Ash. Initially skeptical, Bailey acquiesces, and together they set out across England, following what appears to be the trail of Ash and LaMotte's movements during what Michell and Bailey calculate to have been the period of the romantic interlude between the poets. And what follows is a journey of discovery for Michell and Bailey; about the tenets of truth, history, and most importantly, about love.

LaBute, Laura Jones and David Henry Hwang wrote the screenplay for this film, adapted from the novel by A.S. Byatt. And for LaBute, known for such films as "Your Friends and Neighbors," "Nurse Betty" and the scathing "In the Company of Men," it's an artistic turn of 180 degrees. Absent are the misogynists and narcissists who typically populate his landscapes, replaced by characters the audience can warm to, if not embrace entirely. First and foremost, this is an enthralling love story, made all the more so by LaBute's sensitive and sensible presentation. Visually, it is stunning, as well; Jean-Yves Escoffier's masterful cinematography fully captures the exquisite beauty of the setting, which complements the romance and makes for an entirely transporting experience.

What makes this film altogether satisfying, however, is that LaBute (via Byatt) manages to transcend the dominant romantic aspects of it, interjecting a very subtle consideration of established social precepts and principles, as well. There is a decided sense of Ibsen about it, in attitude, outlook and especially in the suggestion of the "roles" men and women are assigned according to the dictates of "Society," both then and now. And there is an obvious parallel drawn between the characters of LaMotte and Bailey. Generations later, Bailey has become the person LaMotte aspired to be, and would have been except for the constraints of the times, exemplified by the direction LaMotte's life necessarily had to take, as compared with the options Bailey would enjoy in the same situation today.

The casting of this film could not have been better, beginning with LaBute stalwart Eckhart, who perfectly realizes the character of Michell. Through his performance, he manages to carry the pivotal role of the film, without making his character the focus. Michell is central to the story, but it is not "about" him, though Eckhart does give him something of an enigmatic presence, revealing just enough about him to maintain interest, but no more. Eckhart directs attention to what Michell is doing, rather than who he is, which successfully effects the desired results, and makes the film work.

From the moment she appears on screen, Gwyneth Paltrow is a commanding presence. Her initial entrance is fairly inauspicious, and yet when she steps into the room the eye is automatically drawn to her; it's one of those cinematic " moments" destined to remain suspended in time. She imbues Maud with a confident reserve which enables her to dominate the scenes she shares with Eckhart, pointing up not only her considerable ability as an actor, but Eckhart's generosity. Beyond all of which, Paltrow has eyes that draw you in like tractor beams.

The players who make this film so emotionally engaging, however, are Jennifer Ehle and Jeremy Northam. With acting souls seemingly tempered for period piece drama, Ehle ("Pride and Prejudice") and Northam ("Wuthering Heights," "Carrington") make the perfect LaMotte and Ash. In Ehle's Christabel, we discern a character of independence and strength, beneath which lies the romantic nature of the poet; in Northam's Ash we find gentleness and charm, a dreamer who seeks out and finds that which is beautiful and good about the world, the spirit of which he manifests in his work. Their respective performances are elegant, and there is a definite chemistry between them that renders the romance viable and convincing.

The supporting cast includes Trevor Eve (Cropper), Toby Stephens (Fergus), Tom Hickey (Blackadder) and Lena Headey (Christabel's friend). "Possession" is an excursion into new territory for LaBute, and the result is a memorable, transfixing experience for his audience.

While "Possession" can be faulted for being more literary than cinematic, and also more Victorian-melodramatic than it really needs to be, there are those of us for whom literary films and Victorian melodramas have their charm. Here Neil LaBute abandons his usual abrasive cynicism for a stately, romantic and altogether rewarding movie. The modern-day story--in which Aaron Eckhart and Gwyneth Paltrow hunt for the love letters of two Victorian poets while trying to keep their treacherous colleagues at bay--is entertaining enough; but it is the story told in the letters, of the passionate affair between poets Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle, that really makes the movie worth seeing. Although the film presents little of the putative poetry of Northam and Ehle, it does at least present them as interesting characters, which is more than most movies do for poets! The glowing photography of Jean-Yves Escoffier adds the final polishing touch to a movie that should appeal to anyone to whom words--and the emotions behind them--are important.

If you really loved this book, you may well resent the movie. I probably would. But I remember the book imperfectly, and I love the movie. It is a romantic story, visually beautiful, uniformly well acted, and sharply intelligent.

Possession contains two love stories, one set in the present and one in the Victorian era, with Roland Michell and Maud Bailey English professors researching the poets Randolph Henry Ash and Christabel LaMotte. Each time has a distinct look, with the Victorian scenes characterized by rich colors and flowing fabrics, and the contemporary ones by more muted, grayer tones and cleaner, even severe lines.

Each of the love stories has a distinct emotional tone as well. Randolph Henry Ash and Christabel LaMotte, played by Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle, spend much of their time together with what looks like barely suppressed joy, of the kind that shades easily into despair, playing around the edges of their lips. It's a different notion of repression than we usually associate with the Victorian period -- though they are quiet and polite and undemonstrative on the surface, the surface is a very thin layer on top of enormously deep and strong feeling. Roland Michell and Maud Bailey, played by Aaron Eckhart and Gwyneth Paltrow, are in fact more fully in control of their feelings. Often they appear to be holding back something they want to say, but the emotion underlying it is better hidden, deeper beneath the surface.

I found both love stories moving and convincing. The Victorians have the grander passion and greater certainty, but the contemporaries' very uncertainty lends depth to their story, making them more than echoes of or mere hangers-onto the earlier story.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable and well-crafted film.