Film Review – The Testament of Ann Lee

Just last year, partners Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold collaborated on “The Brutalist,” attempting a tough sell as they created a nearly four-hour-long study of emotional ruin and suffering. They managed to pull off a minor hit with the picture (which Corbet directed), trying their luck again with “The Testament of Ann Lee,” which details the life and spiritual liberation of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers religious community. Fastvold takes the reins on this project, attempting to ease the imposing nature of the story but turning the film into a musical of some shape, also displaying plenty of dance to communicate the ways of faith and its direct connection to God. “The Testament of Ann Lee” isn’t particularly ambitious, and it’s not strongly paced, as Fastvold gets too caught up in the Broadway-style approach of the feature, out to make something theatrical, not insightful. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com