Leonie (2013)
Average Rating: 5.5/10
Reviews Counted: 11
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 6
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 4.3/10
Critic Reviews: 7
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 5
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 243
My Rating
Movie Info
In the lush tradition of the glorious films of Merchant and Ivory, comes the true life story of Leonie Gilmour (Emily Mortimer), whose life crossed continents, wars and cultures, embodied with courage and passion in search of art and freedom. A tender and inspiring story of a remarkable woman who nurtures the amazing artistic talent of her son who has only one way to succeed and one person to guide him, as he grows into the world renown artist, Isamu Noguchi. (c) Monterey Media
Cast
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Emily Mortimer
Leonie Gilmour -
Shidou Nakamura
Yone Noguchi -
Christina Hendricks
Catherine -
Mary Kay Place
Albiana Leonie's Mother -
Jan Milligan
Isamu Noguchi -
Saburou Teshigawara
Isamu Noguchi (older) -
Keiko Takeshita
Setsu Koizumi -
Masatoshi Nakamura
Toshu Senda -
Bowie Gunn
Young Isamu -
Julian Ogawa
Young Isamu -
Daichi Flaherty
Young Isamu -
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All Critics (11) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (6)
It hits all the expected beats of a thoroughly vanilla biopic as an aging Leonie reflects on her unconventional life via plodding voiceover while doddering through a forest collecting berries.
Top CriticAs a portrait of female strength and a celebration of the artistic spirit, "Leonie" too seldom comes fully alive.
Failing to carve anything graceful or fluid out of a slab of biography, helmer Hisako Matsui does bring to light a curious and intriguing story of a great-woman-behind-a-great-man in Leonie.
Lushly photographed and featuring a stellar performance by the luminous Emily Mortimer in the title role, Hisako Matsui's film is deeply heartfelt but only intermittently compelling.
Leonie Gilmour was almost certainly unusual and unusually self-reliant. Too bad that the film that bears her name ultimately reduces her to the mother of her child.
Color it inspirational.
Though Leonie is slow at times, it highlights a little-known historical figure in a manner that is emotionally and intellectually satisfying.
Despite some nice period elements, it's a mostly sparkle-free affair, sticking so closely to the genre blueprint as to be generic.
Matsui's Leonie is, very simply, a beautiful film, and one that will live in our hearts and minds long after it ends on screen.
Uneven, but it captures a time, and a woman ahead of her time.
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