This was a beautiful film; there is no other way to describe it. The performances were tremendous, the cinematography was outstanding, the locations they shot it in were gorgeous, the costume design was unique and idealistic, and the script was just plain remarkable. The life of true love is founded in this movie. The multidimensional plot brought things together in unexplainable ways. Possession makes sure that the whereabouts of compassion are never lost in time; and that the morals, ethics, and lessons learned in life are the only guidelines to find ones true self. This picture was excellently assembled and explains every aspect or “what if” of romance; the story is at sometimes  a rough one, but teaches the truth. This is the first limited release of the year to be remembered in the Oscar race.

     Gweneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jeremy Northam, and Jennifer Ehle were fabulous and portrayed their characters personalities perfectly. Might I add that some of their “fake” British accents sounded native, and were done with extreme purity. I almost questioned Paltrow’s existence in the movie, her accent sounded like that of an identical twin; only born and raised in England! The fabulous accents weren’t the only good quality of their performances; the acting was tremendous as well. The screenwriters wanted all of the characters to seem connected in a certain way, a way very hard to capture on film. The connectivity had to be an emotional feeling, better left unexpressed by actions and words. But somehow the cast did it. I even felt connected to them, think about that for a while!

     The cinematography was incredible. The cameras movements, which you might even call thoughts, were brilliantly combined with the beautiful landside used as a premise for the intellectually profound story. I felt like I was watching time unravel from the window of a flying house while viewing this movie. The beautiful visions swept me away because they went along with the dramatically joyful feeling of the wondrous plot very colorfully. This movie is like Gosford Park, just with better features off-camera.

     The costume design was incredibly creative during the scenes intended to take place in the 1800’s. Even though not shown enough to grab any awards, it was amazing to look at. Everything looked so real and authentic. The only thing that leads you to believe that the film is a simulation and not a real event was that it was captured on video (they had no video cameras in 1851; if you’re too stupid to understand). Heck! I probably would’ve bought into the whole gimmick if it was shot in black and white! This movie was an all out treat to look at; its colorful and innovative; in which I’d watch any day. You can bet that I’ll be first in line to buy the DVD on release day.

     Possession is fascinatingly intriguing on thousands of levels. Its all-star performances are of delectably high quality. The dazzling cinematography to go along with its simplistic, yet beautiful landscaping is a treat to watch. The authentic costumes worn by the cast in the olden day scenes are compelling because of their gorgeous and realistic appearance. I’ll take this film any day, for its story is interestingly intriguing, with complex character development to get your brain working. In recap, I recommend Possession for anyone in need of an intelligent and romantic picture.

-Danny, Bucket Reviews