disappointing

Rating: 2/10 (24 March 2016)

i hated this movie. the director and screenplay writer are primarily TV, rather than film veterans and this movie had all the elegance and refinement of a mediocre made for TV movie. The story itself, of an Austrian family whose art treasures were stolen by the Nazis in WWII, is extremely interesting and compelling, but this movie was an opportunity wasted. The usual elements that characterize TV movies - manipulative, cloying sentimentality, one dimensional characters, bad acting, and lack of subtlety were present in this film, (although the screenplay did a nice job of relating the legal background and historical events).
Although Helen Mirren's character, Maria Altmann, was portrayed as one dimensional, Mirren was spectacular and salvaged some element of redemption for the film, and some of the other performances were very good. The choice of Ryan Reynolds as the co-lead was curious, as he is not known for his dramatic depth. Not surprisingly (and despite the fake glasses and stooped posture), he was moribund and uninteresting to watch. Katie Holmes, as his wife, was atrocious.
I could hardly wait for this movie to end.