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She isan elderly Jewish woman who, with the help of a lawyer, Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) attempts to recover paintings stolen from her family by the Nazis just prior to World War II.
The painting — known as The Lady in Gold — was by Gustav Klimt. Together they embark upon a battle which takes them from the heart of the Austria to the U.S. Supreme Court, forcing her to confront difficult truths about the past along the way.
The film intercuts between Maria at age 60, in her 20s (played by Maslany) living in Vienna, just before and during the beginning of the German occupation, and as a young child (Nellie Schilling) as she watched Klimt paint the portrait of her beloved aunt, Adele (Antje Traue). It is presented in both English (during modern times), and in Austrian with subtitles (in the past sequences).
As the film opens, Maria reveals that, while going through her late sister’s effects, she discovers a letter regarding the disposition of the portrait of their aunt.
It is this letter that causes her to see legal help to re-acquire the painting. The film is a powerful testament to the strength of spirit of Altmann and to the many others who never recovered their property stolen by the Nazis.
The Avon Theater is located at 272 Bedford St., Stamford.
Woman in Gold Rated “PG-13” runs 1 hour and 50 minutes, stars Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Brühl, Katie Holmes, Tatiana Maslany and is directed by Simon Curtis.
Norwalk resident Robert J. Sodaro has been reviewing films for some 30 years. During that time, his movie reviews and articles have appeared in numerous print publications, as well as on the web.
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