Much like its protagonist, 'Ammonite' is a film that initially keeps you at a distance - but this is a deliberate decision, one that makes the embrace of the final act all the more powerful. This isn't a sweeping story of passionate love, but a journey back to love, and a journey with an unexpected destination. Perhaps what Mary is looking for - the true fossil she is trying to uncover within herself - is not the connection of another person but the connection with herself, a forgotten part of herself long-buried or taken away. Charlotte is the path to that salvation, and in turn, is led... read the rest.

As entertainment, I enjoyed watching Ammonite. The protagonist, Mary Anning, is an intriguing woman. She is prickly and somewhat anti-social, at least to strangers. Yet she puts up with oppressive behavior by her mother, perhaps to keep the peace or because they are family. She is dedicated to her pursuit of science through paleontology, but also pays the bills by creating what amount to trinkets to sell to tourists. She is interesting, which isn’t a bad thing in a main character.

But Mary Anning was a real person, and as such, the filmmakers “elevated” her story by involving her in a lesbia... read the rest.

This is a beautifully crafted piece of work from Francis Lee and Stéphane Fontaine that depicts the rather downtrodden existence of 19th century English paleontologist Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) who spends much of her time combing the beach for shells and fossils that she restores and sells in a small shop she shares with her ailing mother (Gemma Jones). The arrival of the enthusiastic Roderick Murchison (James McArdle) and his wife Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan) changes her pretty breadline, dreary, routine as he, initially, pays her to show him how to spot the ammonite but then leaves his poorly w... read the rest.

Full review: https://www.tinakakadelis.com/beyond-the-cinerama-dome/2021/12/28/between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place-ammonite-review

Despite the fact that production and filming began prior to Celine Sciamma’s exquisite Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Francis Lee’s Ammonite was released after it and cannot escape the comparison. The two films are similar in that both take place in secluded oceanside locales, focus on a lesbian relationship, and are period pieces. However, that is where the similarities end. While Portrait of a Lady on Fire soars, Ammonite stumbles.