When it comes to mood and milieu, writer-director Francis Lee prefers something bare, austere and quiet. In fact, it was the harmonious union of these severe qualities that furnished his 2017 feature debut, “God’s Own Country,” with a daring edge and lyrical spirit. These aforesaid attributes turn up again (and with abundance) in “Ammonite,” Lee’s fictional tale built around the real-life, self-taught 19th century paleontologist Mary Anning.

Continue reading ‘Ammonite’: Kate Winslet Is Terrific, But Francis Lee’s Lesbian Romance Is Too Cold & Distant [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.