Director: Mona Fastvold
Writers: Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
Stars: Amanda Seyfried, Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie
Synopsis: Ann Lee, the founding leader of the Shaker Movement, proclaimed as the female Christ by her followers. Depicts her establishment of a utopian society and the Shakers’ worship through song and dance, based on real events.
Musical biopics are all the rage these days, even though I’m not quite sure who is asking for them, outside of studio execs seeing the box office and awards success of movies about well-known artists like Bohemian Rhapsody. Just last year, we had Back to Black, A Complete Unknown, Bob Marley: One Love, and Better Man. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere just had its release in late October. All of these vary in terms of both critical and commercial success, but the message is clear: studios will keep churning these out whether we like it or not.
Enter Mona Fastvold with The Testament of Ann Lee, a musical unlike any that I’ve ever seen. It follows Ann Lee (Amanda Seyfried), the leader of the Shaker Movement, a charismatic Christian sect born out of the more reserved Quaker communities in England and America. The Shakers were known for their erratic and expressive movement during worship, more akin to what you might see in a Pentecostal church in the modern United States. All of the music featured in Ann Lee is taken from traditional Shaker hymns, not necessarily written by Mother Ann herself, but certainly influenced by her leadership and teachings.
Fastvold, alongside Brady Corbet and much of the team behind The Brutalist, crafts the most beautiful and enthralling choreography committed to film this century. Almost every musical moment comes from a worship setting rather than the spontaneous singing found in most other musicals. The dancing, combined with immaculate production and costume design, is truly dazzling and pulls you in with each song.
The heart of the film, as with the heart of the Shaker movement itself, is Seyfried as Ann Lee in a breathtaking performance. Lee is one of the few prominent women to lead a religious movement like this, which provides this community with a unique vision and perspective. Many portrayals of religious leaders show them grasping at power for power’s sake, looking out for themselves and no one else. Seyfried’s Mother Ann channels her suffering as a child and young woman into powerful worship and leadership amongst a group of Christian believers yearning for direction and reform. Her singing and emotional range are on full display, marking my favorite performance of the year.
A fascinating aspect of the film is the team’s approach to the “cradle-to-grave” story most audiences are all too familiar with. Many films about religious leaders try to tap into their psyche and get intimately close, whether looking for empathy for them or uncovering evil within them. The Testament of Ann Lee takes a surprisingly removed look at the life of Ann and her community. We see intimately painful moments, but are often not privy to her innermost thoughts. It’s only when these come out as religious expression that we are let in on her motivations and ideology.
Seyfried leads the charge, but Lewis Pullman, as her brother William, rallies the troops. A lesser movie would find the William character as an undermining and begrudging servant to his sister Ann, but he is nothing but supportive of the movement and the reverence that others feel for Mother Ann. This is by far Pullman’s best performance to date, using his charm and vulnerability uniquely. It’s Pullman’s part of the story where the cinematography really shines, leading us into the fields and forests of the coastal northeast, bringing out a contrast in color to the dark and dreary indoor settings of England and the Shaker’s first few months in America.
Between this and The Brutalist, Fastvold and Corbet have to be the most confident filmmaking team working right now. This is a huge swing for all involved, and it’s amazing that a movie like this got made. The Testament of Ann Lee subverts expectations on all fronts, throwing many tropes of musicals, biopics, and the ever-popular combo of the two out the window. There’s not a film this year that combines period craft, performance, and cinematography as well as Ann Lee. It’s utterly mesmerizing, and the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced it’s the movie of the year.
