Film Review – Ammonite

One can clearly see what “Ammonite” wants to express about attraction and individuality, and it’s somewhat heartbreaking to watch the film struggle to overcome its editorial and storytelling limitations. Writer/director Francis Lee (“God’s Own Country”) creates a movie about textures and secret desires, exploring the life of British paleontologist Mary Anning, but the focus here isn’t on science, instead highlighting an affair between the main character and a woman put into her care, with the lovers figuring out their passions in a short amount of time. It’s not meant to be a bio-pic, but perhaps it should’ve been one, finding Lee unable to add much flavor to the stark tale, despite working with two actresses capable of doing remarkable things. “Ammonite” has some hot-bloodedness to spark it to life, but the overall viewing experience is surprisingly dull. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com