The Testament of Ann Lee

"A place for everything and everything in its place." A musical historical drama about Ann Lee (Amanda Seyfried), one of the founding members of the Shaker religious sect in the 1700s. We follow their start in Manchester, then their move to America and rise to prominence there. I couldn’t tear myself away from this one. It’s not your typical dreary biopic but a film that seems to live and breathe and have its own heartbeat. It’s not a straight musical either, or a straight drama. It’s a moving work of art that somehow marries extraordinary visuals with a powerful story, and historical detail, in a way few people seem able to pull off. The Shakers are religious fanatics, chanting and dancing and screaming and singing to the point where it gets them frequently arrested and in trouble. This film somehow respects Ann Lee’s beliefs and takes an un-sneering look at the Shakers, but doesn’t try to sell you on their religion. What you see instead is what the Shaker movement really brought…