'Woman in Gold' (12)

***/**** (3.5 stars)

When struggling lawyer Randy Schoenberg agrees to meet with Maria Altmann, he little expects the case he will be confronted with. For Maria is an Austrian Jew, who fled from her homeland to escape the Nazis, leaving behind her family, friends, a an infamous portrait of her aunt, Adele, painted by Gustav Klimt.

This is, essentially, your standard 'little fish takes on the big fish' story, where one woman and her inexperienced lawyer end up taking on the Austrian government in an attempt to make sure justice is served. What raises this film above your standard 'underdog' story is undoubtedly the two central performances from Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds, who I have always thought to be a rather unremarkable actor. Here, though, donning glasses and a drab suit, he is forced to use his emotional skills as opposed to his rippling torso, and he doesn't do a half bad job. He is believable as a family man, so goes on a journey of self-discovery the longer the case continues, surprising himself and others along the way. As a companion to Mirren he could have easily be overshadowed, but the mismatched pair work excellently together, each off-setting the other with their reactions and remarks. Mirren demonstrates yet again whilst she is one of the best actresses working today, being playful, fragile, heartbroken and excited somehow all at once. The flashbacks to the Nazi invasion of Austria and Maria's subsequent escape where the highlights of the film for me, being well-acted and immensely tense throughout, packing emotional punches at just the right times and being used to break down the rather formulaic present-day plot line. 

For all its charm, it cannot be denied that the story can be mapped out from the word 'go'. We know the pair will be knocked down, have changes of heart, have disagreements, be knocked down again, as well as having to battle with legislation and forces far bigger than themselves. Some points are rather overlooked, such as what did Maria and her husband do when they arrived in America, and what happened to the rest of her family, left behind in Austria? Similarly, what did this case mean for others who had been robbed of their artworks? The opening nips along at a very swift pace, jumping from scene to scene rather quickly, until the pair first land in Austria, whilst the end seems somewhat heavy and laboured, almost too drawn out in an attempt to make it as emotional as possible. Still, it must have worked as I did have a tear in my eye come the end. Visually, it is pretty and solidly shot, but it is remarkably televisual. Indeed, remove the big names for television actors and you've essentially got a Sunday night BBC Drama. I do not mean this is a derogatory way as I love BBC Dramas, but rather as a means of pointing out that nothing shown on screen is so remarkable as to justify a cinema release, apart from the all-star cast. 

What it lacks in terms of cine-visuals and a somewhat formulaic plot, Woman in Gold more than makes up for it in terms of heart and two excellent leads. Perhaps a story that some will not have heard of before, it is more than just another reminder of the cruelties the Jews faced at the hands of the Nazi regime - it is a story of hope and survival. Devoid of sex, and only a single brief use of strong language, it's definitely the sort of film you could give your grandma for Christmas, and happily enjoy.