--- title: "Mr. Turner: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/mr-turner/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/mr-turner" critics_score: 85 critics_reviews: 26 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Mr. Turner (2014): what the critics said Critics' score 85 from 26 reviews: 25 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics warmly endorse Mike Leigh’s unconventional portrait of Turner, with praise clustering around Timothy Spall’s performance and Dick Pope’s cinematography. Spall makes the painter’s difficult temperament, humour and contradictions compelling, while Pope’s handling of light and landscape evokes his way of seeing. The reviews also admire the detailed recreation of the period and Leigh’s attention to artistic labour, finding the film insightful without relying on tidy explanations of its subject. The spread runs from enthusiasm to qualified approval, with only one mixed assessment. Reservations centre on the loose, episodic structure: some find it absorbing, while others question the length and narrative drift. Digital Spy offers the strongest reservation about the lack of structure, despite admiring Spall. The AV Club argues that the film’s craft does not overcome familiar biopic limitations, while The New Yorker’s otherwise appreciative assessment objects specifically to its treatment of John Ruskin. ## Little White Lies — Sophie Monks Kaufman Rating 4/5/5. 31 October 2014. The critic considers the film a formal masterwork and a reverent portrait of artistic labour. They praise its vivid period detail and elegantly composed landscapes. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/mr-turner) ## Radio Times — Leslie Felperin Rating 5/5. Felperin praises Mike Leigh’s portrait as an unconventional, insightful biopic. Timothy Spall’s portrayal of Turner is singled out as a majestic career-best performance. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-d99i2t/mr-turner/) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun (trad. AP) Rating 5/5. 1 December 2014. The publication gives the film its highest rating. The article text is unavailable, so no specific praise can be identified. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/fr/cinema/mr-turner) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2014. Nathan gives the film an exuberant, deeply admiring verdict, calling it a wonderfully alive portrait of Turner. He especially praises Timothy Spall’s extraordinary performance, which makes the artist’s contradictions and humanity compelling. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/mr-turner-review/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating A-. 15 May 2014. Festival review. Kohn calls the film a first-rate match of director and subject, praising its compassionate, bittersweet portrait. He singles out Timothy Spall’s performance and the visual world created by Dick Pope’s cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/cannes-review-why-mike-leighs-mr-turner-starring-timothy-spall-is-a-masterful-biopic-26697/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 2014. Turan finds the film exceptional and engrossing, despite its unconventional narrative. He especially praises Timothy Spall’s astonishing performance and the immersive recreation of 19th-century Britain. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mr-turner-review-20141219-column.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2014. Festival review. Bradshaw calls the film glorious and an assured triumph. He particularly praises Timothy Spall’s performance and Dick Pope’s cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/15/mr-turner-cannes-review-mike-leigh-2014) ## Variety — Scott Foundas Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2014. Festival review. Foundas delivers an enthusiastic assessment of Leigh’s richly detailed, visually masterful portrait of Turner. He especially praises Timothy Spall’s transformative performance and the film’s evocative handling of light and landscape. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/cannes-film-review-mr-turner-1201182098/) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2014. Edelstein finds Mike Leigh’s portrait of Turner subtly terrific and artistically complex. He especially praises how the landscapes and cinematography evoke what Turner saw without simply imitating his paintings. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2014/12/movie-review-mr-turner.html) ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2015. Sexton finds the film a remarkable portrait and a masterclass in Mike Leigh’s approach. He especially praises Timothy Spall’s vivid, committed performance as Turner. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/mr-turner-film-review-timothy-spall-plays-turner-magnificently-in-this-mike-leigh-masterclass-9830122.html) ## Total Film — Jamie Graham Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2014. Festival review. The critic gives Mr. Turner a strongly positive verdict, finding its episodic approach rich and moving. They single out Dick Pope’s striking cinematography and Timothy Spall’s performance for praise. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/cannes-2014-mr-turner-reaction-review/) ## Screen Daily — Jonathan Romney Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2014. Romney presents the film as successful in both its small details and its epic scope. The accessible text praises its ability to balance those qualities. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/mr-turner/5071722.article) ## Sight and Sound — Isabel Stevens Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2014. Festival review. Stevens finds Leigh’s film a spirited, funny character study and an incisive social critique. She especially praises Timothy Spall’s nuanced portrayal of Turner’s physical decline and the film’s impressionistic cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/cannes-2014-savouring-mr-turner) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating B. 16 May 2014. Festival review. Dowd calls the film a fine, lively, visually ravishing biopic, but says it dresses up rather than overcomes the genre’s limitations. He praises Timothy Spall’s entertaining performance and Dick Pope’s gorgeous cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/cannes-14-day-two-mike-leigh-makes-another-biopic-m-1798268642) ## Slant Magazine — Budd Wilkins Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 2014. Festival review. Wilkins gives the film a clearly positive assessment as an unsentimental, richly textured portrait of Turner. He especially praises its period detail and the opening shot’s evocative composition. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/cannes-film-festival-2014-mr-turner-review/) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 2014. Scott gives the film a positive verdict, finding it an unusually rich portrait of the artist. He singles out Timothy Spall’s performance and the film’s visual beauty for praise. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/19/movies/mr-turner-about-the-life-of-the-artist-j-m-w-turner.html) ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 November 2014. Denby calls the film harsh and strange but ultimately stirring, praising Timothy Spall’s portrayal of Turner’s oddity and temperament. He also admires how the filmmakers evoke Turner’s way of seeing, while criticizing the film’s treatment of John Ruskin. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/12/08/outsiders-5) ## Eye for Film — Richard Mowe Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2014. Festival review. Mowe calls the film a remarkable and intelligent evocation of Turner’s life, with Timothy Spall’s performance at its heart. He especially praises Dick Pope’s cinematography for capturing Turner’s colour palette in breathtaking imagery. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/mr-turner-2014-film-review-by-richard-mowe) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2014. The URL’s headline describes the film as one of Mike Leigh’s finest. The page is blocked, so its supporting praise cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-mike-leigh-turns-the-lens-on-himself-in-mr-turner-one-of-his-finest-films-20141215/) ## Paste — Tim Grierson Rating 9.1. 16 December 2014. Grierson praises the film as a beguiling, thought-provoking portrait that avoids familiar biopic explanations. He singles out Timothy Spall’s inscrutable performance and Leigh’s vivid, tactile rendering of the era for praise. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/mr-turner) ## HeyUGuys — Jo-Ann Titmarsh Rating 4 Stars. 15 May 2014. Festival review. The critic calls the film a masterpiece despite finding it slightly too long. She praises Leigh’s sympathetic, nuanced portrayal of Turner as a flawed but likeable man. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/cannes-2014-mr-turner-review/) ## Den of Geek — Tom Bond Rating 4/5. 30 October 2014. Bond finds the film a meticulous, insightful study of Turner, though its loose plot and disposable everyday episodes weaken it. He praises Timothy Spall’s nuanced performance and the strong supporting cast. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/mr-turner-review/) ## The Skinny — Ross McIndoe Rating ★★★★. 24 February 2015. The review finds the film captivating despite its lack of a conventional plot. It praises Timothy Spall’s performance and Mike Leigh’s camera for drawing out the beauty of Turner’s inspirations. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/mr-turner) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B. 5 September 2014. Festival review. Goldberg praises the film as an expansive, richly observed portrait of Turner and his era, though its breadth sometimes makes the context hard to follow. He singles out Timothy Spall’s performance for its poignant range and humor. [Read the review](https://collider.com/mr-turner-review/) ## Consequence — Blake Goble Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2014. The critic finds the film fascinating and rewarding, though often dour, as a study of Turner. He particularly praises Dick Pope’s cinematography, calling its carefully composed images a major achievement. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2014/12/film-review-mr-turner/) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Rating 3/5. 13 October 2014. Festival review. The review finds the film a fascinating, richly detailed portrait that is weakened by its drift between scenes and lack of structure. It praises Timothy Spall’s portrayal of Turner, especially his expressive grunts and dry wit. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a601558/mr-turner-review-timothy-spall-leads-mike-leighs-art-biopic/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/mr-turner.md