"Possession" tells the story of two wounded people searching for love, offering them as a metaphor for modern romantics. Anchored by an impressive performance from Gwyneth Paltrow, "Possession" connects with our human need for fulfillment, our wanderlust and our love of a good, hearty mystery.
A tale told in two eras, "Possession" uses flashbacks to reveal two lovers from a "better" time, when men and women could pour out their hearts with a pen.
The two lovers live desperate lives, make mistakes and leave behind evidence for our present-day heroes. The handwritten letters serve as a guidebook for our protagonists. They must know more information to interpret the guidebook correctly, and to seek something special for themselves.
Aaron Eckhart stars as Roland Michell, a literary intern from the United States who has come to England to work under professor Blackadder (Tom Hickey), a noted authority on Randolph Henry Ash.
Ash (Jeremy Northam) is a 19th-century poet, respected as much for his moral standing as for his passionate writing. It is Ash's love life that the audience visits in flashbacks.
When Roland discovers a love letter inside an original text at a public library, he steals it. Curious as to whether or not Ash might possibly have had an affair, he digs up evidence of a possible link to Christabel La Motte (Jennifer Ehle), another 19th-century poet.
The cover-up of a checkered past is critical to the good name of Ash's legacy, so Roland ditches his mundane research to track down the Motte descendant, as well as historian Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow).
What follows is a rather unconventional mystery. The two scholars chase down old addresses, lost love letters, secret meetings and potential clues.
They begin to find they have more in common with each other than they originally thought, and as they discuss the meaning of their discoveries, a romance blooms.
Herein lies the movie's power. It's not the knowledge that the two poets were such incredible inspirations of life and love which fuels our interests, but instead the discovery that their flawed, tormented lives are more like our own.
When we chase down our heroes and discover their lives are no better than ours, the world is our oyster.
The screenplay of "Possession," adapted from A.S. Byatt's novel and written by Laura Jones, David Henry Hwang and Neil Labute, gives the lead actors plenty of room to discover their chemistry, which is essential.
The film has villains, even realistic ones, but the story very wisely avoids a stupid car chase or gunfight to resolve its conflict. The ending supports the themes of love and discovery, and is very easy to take for granted.
LaBute, who directed the film, makes good use of the scenes brought back from Ash's earlier time. Ash is a man lost in his perfect world; he often seems alone, imprisoned by his passion.
In one scene he visits a spiritist at the request of his lover, when it is widely known that he detests those who claim they can communicate with the dead.
You might remember Eckhart from "Erin Brockovich;" he played the biker dude who falls for Julia Roberts and takes care of her kids.
He has a similar role here as the hunk with the good heart, who can't seem to get through to his woman. As the lead role, Eckhart's character speaks to us as the carefree, independent American.
While it doesn't do much for assuaging American stereotypes, Eckhart's Michell provides us with a few laughs as he interacts with the Brits, as well as with his potential girlfriend.
Paltrow shows us a new interpretation of coldness. In a scene toward the end of the film, Maud is forced to re-evaluate her idea of relationships.
Paltrow in one look can show a smile of promise; in another, a smile of trepidation; in another, a smile of joy. If her character were written with more range, an Oscar nomination would seem likely.
"Possession" is a special find for those who love a good romance -- it has the timeless characteristics of believable characters and an original story. By focusing on subplots that are thought-provoking, the filmmakers have avoided cliches. Through strong acting, these secondary ideas become important, and we see ourselves in them.
In the end, maybe seeing ourselves reflected on the silver screen is the most important reason for seeing this movie.
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