It needs to be said; this is not a very good film, but it does keep up the appearance of one fairly well, carrying a facade of mystery, romance and great literature. The director navigates two parallel story lines – one taking place between two secret lovers in the mid-1800s and one taking place between two soon-to-be-lovers in the 21st century – the latter couple finding their romance as they are unlocking the lovestory of the former... through letters. The bad news is that the director only put his heart into one of the story lines, namely the costume one, and as a result, the modern day lovestory between Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart as literary sleuths suffers greatly. Nevertheless, Possession makes for an OK diversion into quasi-romance.

Starting in the positive end then, period-junkies Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle are breathtaking to watch as poets during the Richmond period in England. They are two people who cannot be together, for one has chosen a wife and the other has chosen a life of 'shared solitude' (which is a euphemism for a lesbian relationship). Yet they begin a correspondence of love letters, which blossoms into a fully-fletched romance, embroidered in intrigue and quiet passion. Ehle's beautiful, reassuring smiles conveying the latter. At times their story is achingly romantic, so I think this aspect is very nicely tended to in the film. The graceful words in their letters even invests the film in a lyrical flow of sorts.

For our modern day story, Gwyneth Paltrow plays the icy literary expert Maud Bailey, who is also a descendant of Ehle's character, but clearly lacking in her passion. The film offers no satisfying explanation as to why the chilly Maud suddenly warms up and falls for Roland (Eckhart),other than they they are researching the lost letters together. I love Eckhart, but truly believe he is all wrong for this part. He ends up clumsy and flat and underdeveloped in the film (the novel probably offered more insight into his character, I don't know) and again, Maud's attraction to him seems far-fetched. I really can't stress how bad their storyline is; no description will do it justice.

Otherwise, Possession does a fair job of melting themes of love and love lost as it progresses and it occasionally manages thrilling. In order to get events unfolding, Maud and Roland unlock the mystery of the ancient lovestory by conveniently appearing clues, hidden hatches and notes. It's into Da Vinci Code territory with this approach to plot, but it works to a point. There is also seamless, fluent intercutting of the two parallel stories in the editing process. Neither a very solid nor very interesting template here, but "Possession" does make for a fine pastime.

6 out of 10

Possession is a change of pace of from director Neil LaBute. A literary adaptation of A S Byatt's novel. A story of of two love affairs some 100 years apart that also serves as an academic detective story, academic skulduggery and romance in academia.

The relationship in two time streams and the mirroring of it suggests to me the 1981 movie adaptation of The French Lieutenants Woman. However Possession has kind of ripped the guts out of the novel so the mirroring is not as evident.

Roland Mitchell (Aaron Eckhart) is a brash American scholar in London studying the works of English poet Randolph Henry Ash (Jeremy Northam) whose poetry was devoted to his wife.

Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow) is an English academic researching the life of a lesser known Victorian poet Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle) who was also bisexual.

Mitchell has discovered letters that appear to link both poets as secret lovers and therefore put a twist to what is known about Ash and his devotion to his wife that would create a literary scandal. The film shows us flashbacks of the two poets lives together and with their partners and the repercussion it causes.

Both Mitchell and Bailey follow the trail of clues across England and France visiting libraries, caves and tombs and both also romantically fall for each other as they visit the same places where romance between the poets burned, even though Bailey is going out with another academic researcher (Toby Stephens) who also works as a scholar for the same professor as Mitchell. He gets wind of what they are up to and courts a rival professor to get in on the act and usurp them.

We find that the romance between the poets in the Victorian era was more passionate and daring than their modern counterparts who seem afraid to commit. The poets fell in love with each other because of their love letters and poetry. It celebrates writing.

The film starts out brightly as Mitchell navigates life in London and being a downtrodden research underling. The film does gets fusty as we are introduced to the flashbacks which is more Quality Street in its confection when it needed bite and spice.

The underhanded tactics of rival academics does not work because all of them are just a bunch of farts and you care little for them.

I expected something less conventional from LaBute, something more spiky and barbed given that there is a daring and scandalous relationship in Victorian England. The modern day setting is very subdued. It was nice of Labute to show the professors up as a bunch of jackasses though.

Possession is a film about an American scholar working over in London for a professor who seems to have a royal high opinion of himself and he and a biographer of some 19th century British poet and who seem to feel they have exclusive custody of his legend such as it is. The poet was known for his filial devotion to his wife of many years.

Our American Aaron Eckhardt however gets a hold of a letter which implies a relationship with a female poet of the same era. That particular poet is a little less known, but among her followers she has a reputation as a feminist icon and a lesbian. He goes to another scholar Gwyneth Paltrow who specializes in the feminist and they begin a hunt through both the records and the places of encounter they've documented.

The romance part of Possession I get. Paltrow and Eckhardt are as civilized a pair of lovers you'll ever meet. Their romantic scenes are tastefully and exquisitely handled. So are the Victorian flashback sequences of Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle.

Academicians at least as I've always pictured them are in a search for the truth. Those opposing Paltrow and Eckhardt seem to have a big vested interest in keeping the images of the two poets as they've come down in history as they are. Why we the audience should care is another matter. It's kind of like The Fountainhead where some kind of popular movement is started against Howard Roarke and his ideas even though I daresay 96% of the population could give a ringy rat's rectum about architectural styles or the reputations of two 19th century poets.

To put it in popular terms it would be like Abraham Lincoln scholars discovering letters showing he had a passionate affair with Clara Barton during the Civil War. Interesting and even titillating if something like that was discovered.

Possession succeeds on the romantic, but kind of falls down on the realistic.