Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
In 1840s England, palaeontologist Mary Anning and a young woman sent by her husband to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship. Despite the chasm between their social spheres and personalities, Mary and Charlotte discover they can each offer what the other has been searching for: the realisation that they are not alone. It is the beginning of a passionate and all-consuming love affair that will defy all social bounds and alter the course of both lives irrevocably.
Ammonite is defined by its austere, atmospheric filmmaking and two towering central performances — Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan bring enormous conviction to a largely unspoken emotional landscape. Francis Lee's cinematography is genuinely exceptional: the grey Jurassic Coast, the cold interiors, and the oppressive textures of working-class Victorian life are rendered with real artistry. However, the plot is thin to the point of frustration — little actually happens, and the sparse narrative architecture feels more like a limitation than a bold choice. The ending is ambiguous in a way that feels withholding rather than resonant, leaving the emotional payoff unearned. Novelty is moderate: the film has a distinctive tone and sensibility, but lesbian period romance as a genre has been done with greater narrative richness elsewhere (Carol being the obvious comparison). What elevates Ammonite is craft and performance; what limits it is dramatic momentum and structural satisfaction.