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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW October days break heat records in Medford ... Another wolf makes its way into Southern Oregon ... Our View: Let Medford voters decide on marijuana sales ... October days break heat records in Medford ... Another wolf makes its way into Southern Oregon ... Our View: Let Medford voters decide on marijuana sales ... Movie review: 'Woman in Gold' doesn't shine Comment By Dana Barbuto More Content Now MailTribune.com By Dana Barbuto More Content Now Posted Apr. 1, 2015 at 7:01 AM By Dana Barbuto More Content Now Posted Apr. 1, 2015 at 7:01 AM » Social News After slogging through an hour or so of set-up, exposition and prosaic dialogue, “Woman in Gold” finally finds its footing. You stick with it for three reasons: the fact-based story about recovering stolen art works is compelling; Helen Mirren is terrific at displaying the required moxie to reclaim it; and the hope is that her co-star, Ryan Reynolds, will bare his chiseled abs. The latter never happens, but that’s not the film’s only disappointment. As directed by Simon Curtis (“My Week With Marilyn”), from a screenplay by first-timer Alexi Kaye Campbell, this is an over-earnest telling of Austrian Maria Altmann’s fight to reclaim a valuable portrait stolen from her family by the Nazis. The performances by Mirren (“The Queen”) as Altman and Reynolds (“The Proposal”) as her game but inexperienced attorney, Randy Schoenberg, prop up a weak script that has the actors repeating variations of the theme, “I have to do what I can to keep these memories alive.” It’s all bathed in a soft movie-of-the-week glow. Mirren and the Reynolds have an affable screen charm. The usual wisecracking Reynolds, at first glance, seems miscast, but he gets better. Though, even with wire-rimmed glasses, he’s still too WASPy and Hollywood handsome to play Schoenberg. Their battle with the Austrian government over Klimt’s iconic painting, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (“the Mona Lisa of Austria”), takes them from Los Angeles to Vienna, where the painting hangs in the Belvedere Museum, to ultimately the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court. Along this 10-year journey, Maria is forced to confront difficult truths about her past. In flashbacks, a young Maria is portrayed by Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”). Ample time is given to Maria’s youth. We see her as a shy child in awe of her beautiful aunt (Antje Traue), the subject of the Klimt painting. We celebrate her wedding to opera singer Fritz (Max Irons). We also witness the seizure of her family’s possessions – paintings, jewelry, silver – and her daring escape from Nazi occupied Vienna. Those scenes, while pat, do elicit some emotion, especially the sentimental ending. What grows tedious are the shifts back to “present day.” Turning what’s essentially a lawsuit into gripping drama is tough work, unless you’re Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network”). Daniel Bruhl (“Rush”) is too good an actor to be relegated to the exposition beat. He shows up out of nowhere on a street in Vienna with the sole purpose to fill in the blanks on Austrian art restitution. Katie Holmes (“The Dark Knight”) has a nothing part as Randy’s supportive wife. The always-game Mirren infuses the film and her character with her usual nuance, class and grace. She’s a fighter with an acerbic tongue. But in the end, “Woman in Gold” has little sparkle. Dana Barbuto may be reached at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @dbarbuto_Ledger. Movie reviewWOMAN IN GOLD(PG-13 for some thematic elements and brief strong language. Cast: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Bruhl. Grade: B- By Dana Barbuto More Content Now MailTribune.com By Dana Barbuto More Content Now Posted Apr. 1, 2015 at 7:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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