From the painful isolation to the longing periods of self-reflection, to say nothing of the chesty cough that punctuates some of the scenes, Ammonite could not have been a more apt selection for the closing film of London Film Festival, whose 2020 edition has, like everything, been affected by the pandemic. Of course, Francis Lee's sophomore feature, following on from 2018's God Own Country, was filmed long before the conditions we find ourselves in but perhaps his new film speaks louder given our separation from each other.
Loosely based on the life of Mary Anning, a self-taught palaeontologist, Ammonite documents her later discoveries and the blossoming of her relationship with Charlotte Murchinson. Starring Academy Award winner Kate Winslet and nominee Saoirse Ronan, the sensual slow-burn is very much like the fossils that Anning spent her life excavating - once shown a tender touch, becomes a thing of beauty.
Beautifully shot, Francis Lee infuses his already-reliable tenderness into his second feature, stunning in its depiction of a long-held, oppressive emotion being finally unearthed. While the environment that envelopes Mary and Charlotte's searches is harsh and bitter, to begin with, it is smartly reflective of their protective lives they have led to bury their urges; as their barriers break down, their desires swirl and the picture is ignited by a spark that Lee's delicate camerawork and cinematographer Stephane Fontaine lusciously captures.
Lee's screenplay succeeds in crafting a solid character study of its two leads. Anning evidently fears intimacy while Murchinson's recent trauma has sent her into a state of depression, facilitating the need for these women to seek safety and comfort in the arms of each other. But holding back the screenplay is the question of whether the film ever completely convince us that they are completely and truly in love? It rarely explores the reason for their attraction beyond a yearning to be held but somebody that understands them, never what draws them to each other personally. With Ammonite relying greatly on the unsaid, the dialogue is relatively sparse and prevents us from understanding the complexities of their attraction, which stifles some of the passion we needed to believe in their kinship.
As such, the chemistry between the stars is never as scintillating as hoped, despite each turning in impressive performances. Much of Winslet's work is internalised which enriches Anning's layers: the dedication to her work is clearly a way for her to deal with an emotional suppression and loneliness, handled by Winslet with nuance. Ronan's Murchinson is haunted by melancholia but her youthfulness is still able to uplift the overall film, as she does Mary, with Ronan's spirit felt throughout an otherwise quiet, understated film. It's a shame that the pair, through little fault of their own, aren't able to reach the romantic crescendo these films richly benefit from but they give it their best effort.
Perhaps further holding Ammonite back is its similarity to a recent LGBT favourite. While endless comparisons between gay films can become exhausting (something that also afflicted God's Own Country, which arrived close behind Call Me By Your Name), Ammonite's similarities to Portrait of a Lady on Fire run deeper than the gender of its lovers. From the wistful tone, seaside symbolism and era-dictated secrecy, Portrait's is a shadow that Ammonite struggles to escape, bound by comparisons that do not work in its favour.
There's no denying that Ammonite is a beautifully shot and well-performed picture that delicately explores the loneliness and intense desire borne out of emotional oppression. Elegant and heartfelt, Francis Lee imbues such tenderness into his second feature that evolves on from his debut nicely without ever reaching its heights. While the screenplay fails to execute the romance with the depth needed to stir up a more vivid, captivating love story, it nevertheless is a compelling character study of two lonely women finding comfort in each other. It may not be the rarest find but it's certainly one worth examining.
Summary: Francis Lee's Ammonite is a beautifully shot sensual slow-burn that sees Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan deliver some of their finest work, despite not reaching the romantic heights these films need to truly thrive.