Possession (2002) [PG-13] ****

A film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net

Possession shows the softer side of director Neil LaBute, the man responsible for a trio of dark, cynical films about human interaction: In the Company of Men, Your Friends and Neighbors, and Nurse Betty. This time, LaBute has elected to try something more life-affirming. Adapting the novel by A.S. Byatt, he has fashioned a cleverly constructed motion picture that switches back and forth between the mid-19th century and the present in chronicling two disconnected love stories.

Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart) is an American researcher who has come to London to further his investigations into the life of his favorite author, Randolph Henry Ash (Jeremy Northam), who once served as Queen Victoria's poet laureate. After discovering two previously unknown letters, Michell believes that Ash may have had contact with an obscure female poet named Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle). This discovery leads him to collaborate with England's foremost authority on Christabel, Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow), who is initially unimpressed by Michell's findings. However, as the two begin to delve more deeply into the potential Christabel/Ash connection, they learn that not only did the two know each other, but they may have been lovers. And, as they unravel the story of Christabel and Ash's relationship, Michell and Maud find their own interaction becoming increasingly intimate.

Neither romance in Possession represents a timeless love story (one could argue there's not enough tear-inducing melodrama for that), but, in large part because of credible performances and LaBute's workmanlike direction, we come to care about the characters and their interactions. The relationships of the two couples are very different, even though one would not exist without the other. Ash and Christabel have a short-lived, fiery affair, preceded by a long period of written correspondence and succeeded by a series of personal tragedies. Michell and Maud are attracted to each other almost from the beginning, but both have erected heavy emotional barriers that have to be overcome, and their mutual fear of commitment nearly prevents them from getting together at all. Nevertheless, the more they learn about the connection between the 19th century lovers, the more they become open to possibilities that neither has been previously equipped to deal with. For a while, the progression of their relationship echoes the discoveries they unearth about Ash and Christabel.

Possession is two parts romance and one part mystery. A subplot involving a conniving Ash biographer trying to scoop Michell and Maud doesn't work, but it doesn't consume enough screen time to be more than a minor irritant. One of the real triumphs of the movie is the manner in which LaBute transitions from the present to the past and back again. Often, this requires nothing more than the pan of a camera to span 140 years. The approach is simple, elegant, and effective. Most importantly, LaBute brings a sense of balance to the story. We are as interested in the Christabel/Ash pairing as we are in the Michell/Maud one, so we don't find ourselves becoming impatient when the canvas switches from one to the other. The present-day lovers get more screen time, primarily because the burden of investigating the past - a cultural exhumation - consumes minutes.

Aaron Eckhart returns for his fourth outing with LaBute to give a relaxed, confident portrayal of Michell. Cool, calm, and elegant, Gwyneth Paltrow is afforded another opportunity to use her flawless English accent. These two don't strike sparks, but there is a palpable chemistry. As Ash, Jeremy Northam, who is no stranger to period pieces, gets a chance to give a more emotional, less restrained performance than what we're used to. Jennifer Ehle, best known for her stage work and her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennett in the mid-'90s Pride and Prejudice mini-series, presents Christabel as a woman of both great strength and great vulnerability.

Although LaBute goes to some lengths to emphasize the connections between the two love stories, he also stylistically italicizes the differences. It's interesting to note that the present-day romance is developed primarily through words while the past-tense one is defined though gestures and images (Northam and Ehle don't have many lines). Yet the words of those two poets, written more than 100 years earlier, resonate with the man and woman investigating their liaison. Possession is compelling material, especially for those who believe that the lives and loves of the dead can impact the trajectory of the existences of the living. [Berardinelli’s rating: 3 stars out of 4 = 75/100]

Labels: drama, mystery, romance
IMDb 63/100 
MetaScore (critics=52, viewers=87) 
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=63, viewers=68)