REVIEW: Amanda Seyfried Gives Her All in ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’
The Testament of Ann Lee tells the story of one of the first female figure heads in the “Shaker” religion. A sect of the Christian faith, the story opens with Ann as a child. From working at her loom to establishing her opinions on her parents’ relationship, the audience watches as Ann goes from a strong-willed child to a curious young woman. A young woman who finds herself enthralled with the “Shaking Quakers”. Another religious sect of the Christian faith, Ann fully embraces the singing and intense dancing that comes with the “Shaking Quakers”. So much so that eventually she finds herself with her own set of followers. Followers who believe Ann’s devotion to the faith is a sign she is a prophet sent by God to spread his word. As the film progresses, we watch as Ann and her followers head to America to establish a place where men and women are equal and their beliefs can be spread to all who are willing to hear them. Though, as expected, some people are not happy with their arrival and make sure to show the “Shakers” how they feel about their beliefs.
Directed by Mona Fastvold, the overall story doesn’t quite live up to the hype, but the performances do. There is a reason Amanda Seyfried is receiving award recognition for her performance as Ann Lee. She gives her whole being over to bringing this character to life. She manages to tap into a part of herself where audiences can easily see why so many people believed Ann Lee to be a prophet. Her angelic voice creates as sense of calm as she uses her hymns to spread the word of the Lord. It makes for a truly capitvating performance. Lewis Pullman steps in as Ann’s supportive brother, William, who will do what it takes to convince people that Ann is indeed a prophet sent by God. Pullman is at his best when William is engaging in Ann’s sermons. The actor may not be able to sing, but he has an energy that surrounds him in these scenes that is undeniable. Thomasin McKenzie plays Mary Partington, one of Ann’s supporters and the narrator of the film. McKenzie uses her narration to evoke feeling in the audiences. It is easy to see how adored Ann was by Mary purely by McKenzie’s narration. However, because the story is told through the eyes of Mary, we don’t truly get to see both sides of Ann’s story.
The music featured in this film is as much a character as one of the actors. With that being said, not all the actors featured in this film can sing, but not everyone at church can sing and that makes these scenes that more beautiful. Each musical numbers helps tell the story of Ann Lee. Fastvold easily weaves the musical numbers, many of them original hymns sang by the real Ann Lee, into scenes, so they don’t feel out of place. As an audience goer, you feel as if you are right there with the actors as they dance and sing their praises to god.
The Testament of Ann Lee isn’t a film I would recommend rushing out to the theater to see, but if you are someone who loves great performances this film is for you. The story lags in places, and will leave some scratching their heads. But this is a film that should be studied based solely on its performances. From start to finish, you can tell these actors gave their all to not only the film, but their leader, Amanda.
Grade: C+