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Movies / On DVD / Possession
Possession

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Possession (2002)

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Reviews Counted:154

Fresh:99

Rotten:55

Average Rating:6.3/10

Consensus: Based on Byatt's novel of the same name, Possession is a lovely, literate romance.

Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Set in both contemporary and Victorian England, POSSESSION, directed by Neil LaBute, is based on the novel by A.S. Byatt. The tale begins with Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart), a laid-back American... Set in both contemporary and Victorian England, POSSESSION, directed by Neil LaBute, is based on the novel by A.S. Byatt. The tale begins with Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart), a laid-back American studying the renowned Victorian poet Randolph Henry Ash (Jeremy Northam) on a fellowship. When Roland discovers what may be a love letter from Ash, a supposedly devoted husband, to the reclusive poet Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle), he recognizes that he's on to a big literary discovery. Enlisting the help of skeptical British academic Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow), Roland embarks on journey to discover more about the link between the two revered poets. As Roland and Maud track Ash and LaMotte's elusive romance across the British countryside, the two scholars begin a relationship of their own. Although this film presents a kinder, gentler LaBute--who is known for emotionally caustic movies such as IN THE COMPANY OF MEN and YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS--POSSESSION still focuses on the relationships between men and women with skillful attention. Paltrow reprises her convincing British accent from films such as SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE and SLIDING DOORS, while Northam and Ehle lend gravity to their Victorian characters. However, it's Eckhart, a longtime LaBute collaborator, who proves to be the film's heart and soul; his relaxed yet complex personality grounds both the movie and its two intertwined stories. As the two tales progress, the relationships between the characters wax and wane, leading to an ending with a surprising twist. [More]

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jeremy Northam, Jennifer Ehle

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jeremy Northam, Jennifer Ehle, Tom Hollander, Toby Stephens, Lena Headey

Director: Neil LaBute, Barry Levinson

Director: Neil LaBute
Screenwriter: Laura Jones, Neil LaBute, David Henry Hwang
Producer: Paula Weinstein
Director: Barry Levinson
Producer: David Barron, Len Amato
Studio: USA Films

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Reviews for Possession

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21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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A idéia do amor trágico soa romântica para estes casais, o que é curioso. Mas, no geral, o filme é extremamente enfadonho.

comment Comment
07/25/03
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

A sumptuous, century-spanning romantic epic ... in other words, the last thing you'd expect from Neil LaBute

Full Review Source: State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL) | comment Comment
06/27/03
Nick Rogers
Nick Rogers
State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
03/10/03
Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones
Austin Chronicle

Possession should be a rapturous, romantic film about an ancient passion so intense that it transcends historical boundaries. It should be, but it isn't.

Full Review Source: Film Quips Online | comment Comment
02/08/03
John R. McEwen
John R. McEwen
Film Quips Online

Both a detective story and a romance spiced with the intrigue of academic skullduggery and politics.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
12/17/02
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

Both a detective story and a romance spiced with the intrigue of academic skullduggery and politics.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
12/17/02
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

There's nothing harried or rushed about the editing - the story builds naturally and with a steady rhythm all its own.

Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
12/17/02
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/08/02
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
11/06/02
Jeff Strickler
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune

All four principals are just right in their roles.

Full Review Source: San Diego Metropolitan | comment Comment
10/21/02
Jean Lowerison
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan

Gorgeously shot, impeccably written...it understands the beauty of its own subtlety.

Full Review Source: Spectrum (St. George, Utah) | comment Comment
10/17/02
Bruce Bennett
Bruce Bennett
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)

Certainly qualifies as an old-fashioned romance, but it offers enough laughs and twists to qualify as a shiny new treat.

Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | comment Comment
10/15/02
Margaret A. McGurk
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer

Love, is best, served cold.

Full Review Source: Film Snobs | comment Comment
10/04/02
Stephen Himes
Stephen Himes
Film Snobs

Neil LaBute’s most mature movie yet, the work of a moralist coming to terms with a world of blurred morals.

Full Review Source: Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada) | comment Comment
09/30/02
Josef Braun
Josef Braun
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

would make an excellent companion piece to the similarly themed 'The French Lieutenant's Woman.'

Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | comment Comment
09/27/02
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

For a movie that purports to be about the passions of love and language, Possession is remarkably prim.

Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
09/26/02
Peter Rainer
Peter Rainer
New York Magazine

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
09/18/02
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Most people will not enjoy, and should not see.

Full Review Source: KBTV-NBC (Beaumont, TX) | comment Comment
09/17/02
Danny Minton
Danny Minton
KBTV-NBC (Beaumont, TX)

At first, I was critical of the cold and lifeless relationship between Roland and Maud. But, upon greater reflection, I realized that was exactly the point.

Full Review Source: Norman Transcript | comment Comment
09/13/02
Jim Chastain
Jim Chastain
Norman Transcript

a film in which poetry and romanticism are celebrated and cherished

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
09/11/02
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk
 
 
21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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Latest News for Possession

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