This is based on the true quest of Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), who left behind her family’s art collection in Vienna when she fled the Nazi occupation. Sixty years later, she hires a young lawyer (Ryan Reynolds) to help her reclaim it, including the most famous painting, Gustav Klimt’s “The Lady in Gold.” All the fundamentals of a prestige film are here: a cast with chops, a noble cause, insurmountable odds and a troubled history (which alternates with the modern crusade). It has the potential and the outward traits of a stirring drama, but the writing is flat, the relationships are uninteresting and the emotion never hits home. While the story is appealing, the movie doesn’t live up to the quality potential.
(3.5 / 5)