'Mr. Turner' gives insight into one of Britain's most admired yet most controversial painters. Regarded as 'eccentric', he not only moved with the times, he moved ahead of the times and was regarded as a master by his peers. Known initially as a landscape artist, then a marine artist, then an expert in watercolours, he was creating impressionistic and abstract canvases before the words impressionistic and abstract had ever been applied to painting. Director Mike Leigh gave screen room for all of his talents and assigned the task to Timothy Spall of imparting Mr. Turner's character to the film audience. Spall was already a recipient of the OBE and is widely recognized as an accomplished and capable actor. He cannot be compared to Brad Pitt or Clark Gable as Hollywood type leading men however, and this may be part of the reason that the film did not reach the same level of success with the public as it did with the media. A shame, as both the film and the late J. M. W. Turner warrant kudos.
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