Dull and awful

I have to say that I quite agree with you. I've loved so much of the director's previous work - even those films I found flawed or considered to be "minor" pieces of work - so I went in with absolute confidence that I'd at least come out feeling I'd just seen a quality film, even if I wouldn't believe it to be quite the masterpiece some were calling it. But my oh my was I unprepared for the utter tedium! One of the most dull and plodding films I've seen in a long time. I'm completely baffled by all the roaring adulation for it. Obviously Leigh's worst film, I'd say.

Dis is not a mainstream movie 4 gen viewin public yet it's not quite pretentious like inherent vice.

It's a slow burner wid nice subtletiez only fanz of Leigh can really appreciate. 1st viewin usually go over 1s head if he not payin attention but 2nd viewin usually rewarded grately at least 4 me when I watch Leigh's filmz.

Dis 1 is tuff bec it's sooooooo long and period...

Werd 2 ur mudda, bruddafckka

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I completely agree with you. The two people who I went with really didn't like it, including myself. The two people who sat to the right of us walked out 20 minutes into the film. Throughout the film, there were countless people who walked out of the film. This was at the San Diego Film Festival. I wish I had walked out the first twenty minutes as well, but ended up staying and watching the whole darn thing.

Looking at Mike Leigh's filmography, I was surprised to see the other films in his list, the ones that I have watched I have enjoyed. But this, despite the beautiful cinematography, and the humor at times, the film grated on me. This is not a typical period piece. I love period pieces, and this one, even the music started to drive me nuts. It was ominous and strange at times, much like Mr. Turner himself.

My biggest problem was there was far too much grunting, and no story. No character development, no nothing. No one grew or learned anything. I didn't learn anything really about Mr. Turner's life myself except that he was rather despicable and arrogant. I did appreciate how the scenery would very much match his paintings - that was pretty unique. I'm not a huge fan of his paintings though, but it's mainly due to the fact that I much prefer the Impressionistic era to the Romantic era.

I don't see how the average person, or even the average movie lover would not find it rather dull and uninspiring.

Different people see, or don't see, different things in a film. I have just seen it, and I'm glad I did, it is an excellent piece of work, from my point of view.
The lives of writers, actors, and artists rarely have any useful dramatic structure, all too often film makers invent, distort, or grossly exaggerate just to get a plot running. Fortunately Leigh has not done this here. Appropriately for a landscape painter he has given us an exhibition of scenes from a life.
Most of the posts on this thread are unfavourable, but it is the very points that are complained of that make this an outstanding creation.
I have long admired Turner's paintings, now I think I understand a little of where they came from, and gained an insight into the process of artistic creation.

Did you smoke something prior to watching this movie? Just asking because I watched a whole different film...

It's basically just a series of events in Turner's life without telling any story about him.

It was a pointless and seemingly never-ending bore-fest about a grunting, growling, sneering, scowling narcissistic pig of a man. Don't waste your time.