Woman in Gold

Parental Rating: PG-13

Contains: Language    

Jill's Review

Opens April 1, 2015

Runs 109 minutes

Maria Altman (Helen Mirren) an elderly Jewish woman living in Los Angeles, finds some old letters and documents in her deceased sister's belongings. She is immediately transported back in time by her memories. Back to the days when she and her family all lived together in Austria. Back when the Nazi's plundered all of the family's possessions and she was forced to flee to the United States with her husband, leaving her parents to their fate in Austria. Terrible memories that she had suppressed for quite a while. Now, she feels that she has nothing to lose and it is time to reclaim her family's possessions, especially the painting by Gustav Klimt of her beloved aunt Adele Bloch-Bauer. She hires a young Jewish attorney, Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) and together they work to take on the Austrian government to get justice for her family and other Jews for all the wrongs perpetrated by the Nazis during the war.

I liked this movie. Helen Mirren is great. Ryan Reynolds is a little out of his depth, but he does a decent job and has some good throwaway lines. I didn't score the movie higher because I still had so many questions once the film was over. I know they had to primarily focus on the "Woman in Gold" painting to keep the movie at 2 hours, but what about all of their other possessions that were taken. And, whatever happened to the family members that were left behind? The pacing of the film was great and there was sufficient humor to keep you entertained. I just wanted to know a little more. Still, worth the price of admission. 

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