Much like its protagonist, 'Ammonite' is a film that initially keeps you at a distance - but this is a deliberate decision, one that makes the embrace of the final act all the more powerful. This isn't a sweeping story of passionate love, but a journey back to love, and a journey with an unexpected destination. Perhaps what Mary is looking for - the true fossil she is trying to uncover within herself - is not the connection of another person but the connection with herself, a forgotten part of herself long-buried or taken away. Charlotte is the path to that salvation, and in turn, is led out of the darkness herself, returned to a kind of love and passion thought lost, and giddy at the finding of it. 'Ammonite' is such a beautiful, soulful and intelligent film, made with honesty, integrity and an unexpected sense of humour that breaks through the rock encasing it. It confirms that our faith in Francis Lee is well-founded, and offers yet another classic queer drama that pushes against the expectations of the kinds of lives these films can explore.
- Daniel Lammin

Read Daniel's full article...
https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-ammonite-francis-lee-delivers-another-beautiful-portrait-of-love-and-longing

This is a beautifully crafted piece of work from Francis Lee and Stéphane Fontaine that depicts the rather downtrodden existence of 19th century English paleontologist Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) who spends much of her time combing the beach for shells and fossils that she restores and sells in a small shop she shares with her ailing mother (Gemma Jones). The arrival of the enthusiastic Roderick Murchison (James McArdle) and his wife Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan) changes her pretty breadline, dreary, routine as he, initially, pays her to show him how to spot the ammonite but then leaves his poorly wife in her care to recuperate from an as yet undefined malady. The story is essentially about how the two women bond, and about how that bond intensifies and it features two very strong performances from the leads who struggle with their delicately smouldering relationship. Together with Lee, they manage to deliver a sense of their longing in a largely un-passionate - yet not sterile - fashion. The snag is that the film really, really, lacks pace and characterisation. It's not that is needs to be a full-on sex-fest, it's that their dialogue is sparing to the point of frugality. Why do they bond? At times their affinity is hard to fathom; terse even - and there is a maternal affinity that seems to compromise the potency of their chemistry as people who are falling in love. There are a couple touching contributions from Fiona Shaw and Gemma Jones (sort of reprises her role from "God's Own Country" (2017)) and there is an explicit swipe at the male-driven scientific community that did it's best to discourage/ignore the obvious skills possessed by Anning, but as a film for the big screen it just lacks depth - we are left to guess/assume way too much and it left me feeling just a bit empty.

I'd be lying if I told you the movie swept me of my feet. But I enjoyed it nevertheless, more for what it was then for the story itself. Let me explain.
It is a quite movie that uses very little dialogue and pretty much relies on picture and acting performances. The scenery and costumes are great. And since Kate and Saoirse are two of my favorite actresses I reveled in watching them both play together. And, no, I don't mean it like THAT !!!
The story is what it is and I am sure many will dislike it. Which is ok, I don't like each movie I see, either. It is rather predictable and honestly I couldn't see it going any other way. At the same time I don't feet overwhelmed by the topic or having it rubbed in my face like it happens often with this topic. But this movie isn't about that, it's not there to fight for something. Like the synopsis said it's a story about two women who find something they've been looking for in each other.
Whether you get something out of it depends on your willingness to engage into the movie in the first place.

I think I'm going knock this movie because I didn't like it at all, and I was right to be biased before I watched it.
I'd say the worst Sapphic movie for me after "La vie d'adele", so let me explain right away why.
For me, emotion in movies is definitely something that comes with music, I couldn't think that without music,--so I'm in love with soundtracks, they remind me of the sadness, feelings in that movie-- but in this movie, the music was so little, and what happened was so poorly used that in some scenes I looked at the screen like I said :sparkles: :sparkles: where's the Spice :sparkles: :sparkles: .
Second, elements from all kinds of masterpiece Sapphic films have been stolen, but they have not used beautiful, so there is a beach, there is a figure of friends from ex, I don't know, there is a separation, something has been copied from a lot of movies, but there is no sadness of separation, there was no hesitation in gazing, in short, there was no emotion.
In addition: I expected the soundtrack the scandal, which I became obsessed with translating the movie's trailer, but I couldn't find it on any platform at the time, to be in the movie, but again the disappointment is again the disappointment.

Full review: https://www.tinakakadelis.com/beyond-the-cinerama-dome/2021/12/28/between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place-ammonite-review

Despite the fact that production and filming began prior to Celine Sciamma’s exquisite _Portrait of a Lady on Fire_, Francis Lee’s _Ammonite_ was released after it and cannot escape the comparison. The two films are similar in that both take place in secluded oceanside locales, focus on a lesbian relationship, and are period pieces. However, that is where the similarities end. While _Portrait of a Lady on Fire_ soars, _Ammonite_ stumbles.