April 11, 2015 -- I went to see this film mainly because Helen Mirren is in it, and she is one of the best actresses in the world. She gives a fine performance, as expected, playing Maria Altmann, but Ryan Reynolds gives the most heartfelt performance I've seen him give, as Altmann's lawyer Randol Schoenberg, who is fighting long odds to recover property stolen from Altmann's family by the Nazis. This is based on a true story.

Schoenberg, whose family also suffered at the hands of the Nazis in Austria during World War II, agrees to handle Altmann's case, even though he knew little about international property recovery law when he started and it looked like there was very little chance of success. During World War II, the Nazis not only killed most of Altmann's family, but they stole most of her family's property, including six valuable Gustav Klimt paintings (five of these paintings were sold nine years ago for a total of $325 million) and their home in Vienna, all belonging to her parents, Ferdinand and Adele Bloch-Bauer.

Schoenberg knows the value of the paintings before going with Altmann in their first attempt to recover them, but he becomes emotionally involved with the case when he encounters his own family's history in Austria. Schoenberg is the grandson of the Austrian composers Arnold Schoenberg and Eric Zeisl. His family and Altmann's family had been friends for years. In the film, Schoenberg attends a concert in Vienna featuring music composed by his grandparents.

The legal battle for the property belonging to Altmann's parents went on for six years, including an argument before the U.S. Supreme Court where Schoenberg and Altmann had to battle not only the Austrian government, but the U.S. Government as well, which argues the case could harm international relations.

While about half the film takes place in Austria and there are some courtroom scenes, there are also scenes which take place during World War II, including scenes of Altmann's marriage and her daring escape from Austria. Altmann is played as a young woman by Tatiana Maslany of the “Orphan Black” TV series. Schoenberg and Altmann are aided in their quest by a sympathetic Austrian journalist, Hubertus Czernin, played by Daniel Brühl of “Rush.”

The legal battle drags on so long and is so expensive that there is considerable strain on the elderly Mrs. Altmann and on Schoenberg, whose own finances are in serious trouble. This film manages all the story elements quite well, including the escape by Altmann and her husband from Austria during World War II. There is suspense, drama and emotion in this story. Reynolds and Mirren give great performances with good supporting performances by Brühl, Katie Holmes (who plays Schoenberg's wife) and by Allan Corduner, who plays Altmann's father, Gustav Bloch-Bauer.

This is a very moving film which is also instructive in certain historical and legal matters involved with Austrian politics, anti-Semitism and the recovery of stolen property. This film rates a B.

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