In 1840s England, palaeontologist Mary Anning and a young woman sent by her husband to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship. Despite the chasm between their social spheres and personalities, Mary and Charlotte discover they can each offer what the other has been searching for: the realisation that they are not alone. It is the beginning of a passionate and all-consuming love affair that will defy all social bounds and alter the course of both lives irrevocably.
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Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• Mary Anning: Kate Winslet
• Charlotte Murchison: Saoirse Ronan
• Molly Anning: Gemma Jones
• Roderick Murchison: James McArdle
• Dr. Lieberson: Alec Secăreanu
• Elizabeth Philpot: Fiona Shaw
• Museum Cleaning Woman: Sarah White
• Museum Workman: Liam Thomas
• Curator: Sam Parks
• Eleanor Butters: Claire Rushbrook
• Three Cups’ Waiter: Nick Pearse
• Three Cups’ Maid: Victoria Elliott
• Party Guest: Beatrice Curnew
• Party Guest: Susie Baxter
• Party Guest: Gethin Alderman
• Party Guest: Robert Purdy
• Party Guest: Max Dowler
• Party Guest: Paul Dodds
• Fine Gentleman: John Mackay
• David The Postman: Mladen Petrov
• Charlotte’s Maid: Wendy Nottingham
• Musician: David Juritz
• Musician: Ben Hancox
• Musician: James Boyd
• Musician: Peter Gregson
• Museum Gentleman (uncredited): Pierre Bergman
• Garden Party Guest (uncredited): Michael Hennessy
• Callow Youth (uncredited): Harvey Scrimshaw

Film Crew:

• Executive Producer: Zygi Kamasa
• Casting Director: Fiona Weir
• Costume Designer: Michael O’Connor
• Director of Photography: Stéphane Fontaine
• Editor: Chris Wyatt
• Producer: Emile Sherman
• Producer: Iain Canning
• Supervising Art Director: Richard Field
• Writer: Francis Lee
• Musician: Dustin O’Halloran
• Musician: Bryan Senti
• Musician: Volker Bertelmann
• Executive Producer: Rose Garnett
• Executive Producer: Mary Burke
• Producer: Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly
• Makeup Designer: Ivana Primorac
• Orchestrator: Ben Winkler
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Johnnie Burn
• Digital Compositor: Pat Wong
• Prop Maker: Sophie Tarver
• Painter: Robert J. Dugdale
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Paddy Eason
• Production Design: Sarah Finlay
• Co-Producer: Robert How
• Stunt Coordinator: Dani Biernat
• Co-Producer: Nicky Earnshaw
• Foley Artist: Caoimhe Doyle
• Key Makeup Artist: Charlotte Rogers
• Script Supervisor: Tamsin Spivey
• Visual Effects Producer: Dan Marbrook
• Set Decoration: Sophie Hervieu
• Visual Effects Producer: Alison Griffiths
• Gaffer: Andy Cole
• Music Supervisor: John Boughtwood
• Still Photographer: Agatha A. Nitecka
• Production Accountant: Jim Hajicosta
• Post Production Supervisor: Deborah Harding
• First Assistant Sound Editor: Simon Carroll
• Steadicam Operator: Richard Cornelius
• Matchmove Supervisor: Matthew D’Angibau
• Associate Producer: Katherine Bridle
• Digital Colorist: Isabelle Julien
• Post Production Accountant: Dougal Cadiou
• CG Artist: Tom Cowlishaw
• First Assistant Editor: John Weeks
• Third Assistant Director: Lucy Andrews
• Principal Costumer: Holly Rosenthal
• Costume Supervisor: Viveene Campbell
• Casting Associate: Sarah Wilson
• Stunt Coordinator: Crispin Layfield
• Assistant Location Manager: Stephanie Andrew
• Animal Coordinator: Julie Tottman
• Property Master: Ewan Robertson
• Production Supervisor: Polly Jefferies
• Marine Coordinator: Jonjo Stickland
• Digital Intermediate Producer: Marie Valentino
• Digital Compositor: Vincent Goodsell
• Assistant Costume Designer: Anna Kot
• Digital Imaging Technician: Kristin Davis
• Production Sound Mixer: Phil Cape
• First Assistant Editor: Helena Beeson
• Script Editor: Anna Seifert-Speck
• Art Direction: Bill Brown
• Graphic Designer: Georgina Millett
• Unit Manager: Emma Harrison
• Health and Safety: Mick Hurrell
• Special Effects Supervisor: Massimo Vico
• Digital Compositor: Marta Gargano
• Assistant Set Decoration: Chloe James
• Orchestrator: Roland Nebe
• Musician: Moritz Kolb
• Art Direction: Guy Bevitt
• Conductor: Peter Pejtsik
• Second Assistant “A” Camera: Alison Streatfield
• Head Carpenter: Dave Creed
• First Assistant “A” Camera: Catharine Brown
• Key Grip: Colin Strachan
• Executive Producer: Simon Gillis
• Graphic Designer: Jess Alexander
• Animal Coordinator: Jo Vaughan
• Digital Compositor: Alice Locuratolo
• Orchestrator: Gregor Keienburg
• Second Assistant Director: Gemma Nunn
• Painter: Dave Pearce
• Assistant Production Coordinator: Jonah Mayfield
• Truck Supervisor: Sarah Brest
• First Assistant Director: Simon Hedges
• Assistant Art Director: India Jaques
• Assistant Set Decoration Buyer: Chloe Taylor
• Principal Costumer: Grace Clark
• Electrician: Dean Coffey
• Generator Operator: Patrick Gledhill
• Hairstylist: Rosie Sinfield
• Set Decoration Buyer: Katie Adamson
• Construction Manager: Dina Karklina
• Art Department Trainee: Sara Kuna
• Standby Art Director: Paddy Paddison
• Assistant Set Decoration: Rebecca Todd
• Petty Cash Buyer: Cara Walker
• Sound Editor: Brendan Feeney
• Unit Medic: Trisha Joyce
• Title Designer: Sam Ashby
• Best Boy Electric: Alan Graham
• Production Coordinator: Hannah Jennings
• Travel Coordinator: Yara Caubet
• Production Assistant: Alfred Golding
• Production Assistant: Tila Sampaio Diogo
• Producer’s Assistant: Anu Anderson
• Writers’ Assistant: Jesse Jeune
• First Assistant Accountant: Nicholas Hajicosta
• Second Assistant Accountant: Lesley-Ann Halls
• Set Production Assistant: Anu Pekkarinen
• Set Production Assistant: David Harriman
• Camera Trainee: Johannes Lohmann
• Video Assist Operator: Sylvester Weekes
• First Assistant Editor: Scott Clements
• Electrician: Raz Khamehseifi
• Standby Carpenter: Lee Hosken
• Dressing Prop: Josh Hartnett
• Special Effects Technician: Daniel Vico
• Location Manager: Eddy Pearce
• Location Assistant: Ziggy Gray
• Script Consultant: Ruth Goodman
• Script Consultant: Simon Jarrett
• Unit Publicist: John Scrafton
• Dialect Coach: Laura Hart
• Specialized Driver: Darren Payne
• Specialized Driver: Irfan Reza
• Specialized Driver: Len Bond
• Specialized Driver: Nigel Moore
• Specialized Driver: Rob Davies
• Catering Head Chef: Neil Samels
• Specialized Driver: Ian Crane
• Specialized Driver: Christian Muresan
• Specialized Driver: Calin Nicoara
• Specialized Driver: Sorin Pop
• Specialized Driver: Livu Radu
• Specialized Driver: Steve Slater
• Specialized Driver: Simone Charnley
• Carpenter: Janis Abolins
• Carpenter: Tihamer Laszlo
• Carpenter: Alisdair McCabe
• Carpenter: Paul Molinaro
• Painter: Darryl King
• Painter: Lana Rake Lasmane
• Painter: Josh Rakes
• Sound Recordist: Oscar Burn
• Foley Mixer: Jonathan Reynolds
• Foley Recordist: Ciara Mahon
• Digital Intermediate Assistant: Mark Shrapnell-Smith
• Digital Intermediate Assistant: Rachael Maree Kelly
• Mix Technician: Dan Turner
• Mix Technician: Jonathan Rush
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Jacopo Landi
• Visual Effects Coordinator: Laura Murphy
• Visual Effects Production Assistant: Max King
• Roto Supervisor: Stephen J. Smith
• Rotoscoping Artist: Maurizio Di Vitto
• Rotoscoping Artist: Jenny Gauci
• Digital Compositor: Danit Kiblansky
• Digital Compositor: Ozan Yildiri
• Visual Effects Producer: Mick Abela
• Visual Effects Producer: Marta Caceres
• Orchestrator: Jan Andres
• Musician: Constanze Sannemüller

Movie Reviews:

• SWITCH.: 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

• Peter McGinn: As entertainment, I enjoyed watching Ammonite. The protagonist, Mary Anning, is an intriguing woman. She is prickly and somewhat anti-social, at least to strangers. Yet she puts up with oppressive behavior by her mother, perhaps to keep the peace or because they are family. She is dedicated to her pursuit of science through paleontology, but also pays the bills by creating what amount to trinkets to sell to tourists. She is interesting, which isn’t a bad thing in a main character.

  But Mary Anning was a real person, and as such, the filmmakers “elevated” her story by involving her in a lesbian relationship that was not supported by any historical evidence. This is what movies do, and it does add to the plot, though it was small consolation to a descendant of Mary Anning, who questioned whether it was polite to the historical figure to do so. I am reminded of the movie Cinderella Man, directed by the talented Ron Howard, where boxer Max Baer’s son protested because Howard had made Max more vicious than he was. Baer was playful and even boxers he fought liked him outside the ring. But this is what directors do.

  One possible result of that added subplot is the enigmatic ending. We are left wondering about the ultimate relationship of the two women, and perhaps that is at least partly because history is so vague on Mary Anning’s sexuality in general.

  But this is not a documentary; it is a biopic, a different animal altogether, as I alluded to it above. If this movie hadn’t’t been made, flawed factual details in all, I would never have heard of Mary Anning at all. So I think her legacy and her place in history is ultimately improved by the film. Sometimes, in fact, a popular biopic leads to increased interest and attention for a historical character. That can’t be a bad thing, can it?

• CinemaSerf: 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.