Mr Turner

Cert 12.

150 mins.

Drama/Romance.

Starring Timothy Spall, Paul Jesson, Dorothy Atkinson, Marion Bailey, Karl Johnson, Ruth Sheen, Lesley Manville, Nicholas Jones

LANDSCAPE painter Joseph Mallord William Turner (Timothy Spall) shares his London home with his father William (Paul Jesson) and housekeeper Hannah Danby (Dorothy Atkinson).

The artist channels his energy into his work, which continues to raise eyebrows at the Royal Academy Of Arts.

“The universe is chaotic and you make us see it,” observes Turner’s good friend Mary Somerville (Lesley Manville).

During excursions to Margate, Turner meets Mrs Booth (Marion Bailey) and her husband (Karl Johnson) and rents a room from the couple so he can paint seascapes by the morning light.

The burgeoning relationship between Turner and Mrs Booth sweetens the bitter pill of William’s passing and the artist continues to clash with the cultural establishment, represented by Sir John Soane (Nicholas Jones) and his acid-tongued gaggle.

Anchored by a magnificent central performance from Spall, Mr Turner is a glorious period piece that offers us a glimpse behind the canvases of a misunderstood maverick, who notes at one point, “When I peruse myself in a looking glass, I see a gargoyle.”

Spall is imperious and is flanked by an impeccable supporting cast including Jesson as an honest, hard-working man of the world.

The relationship between Turner and his “daddy” is sketched in exquisite, heart-warming detail.

Developed through improvisational workshops, which are the trademark of Mike Leigh’s film-making process, the script melds historical fact with personal interpretation to burrow deep beneath the surface of the characters and expose the desires and fears which drove some to greatness and others to despair.