I don't quite know how to explain why I liked 'The Testament of Ann Lee' as much as I did. Amanda Seyfried puts on a great performance as the titular "Ann Lee", Lewis Pullman is compelling as her brother "William", and the rest of the cast do an admirable job as the ensemble. 'The Testament of Ann Lee' is about the not very well known Christian Protestant sect called the "Shaking Quakers". Seyfried's "Ann Lee" rises towards the top of this small group and leads them to the 13 Colonies of the new world where she saw visions of them growing their community.
For a movie where I feel that not much happened, so to speak, it managed to stay compelling for it 137 minute runtime. It was most aided by the fact that it was almost a musical. The real life religious group, the Shaking Quakers, the movie is based on was known for how physical they were in their practice. Their worship included plenty of shaking, dancing, and prayer song. Mona Fastvold, director and co-writer, uses this to great effect by adding many musical sequences. I would not call 'The Testament of Ann Lee' a musical, because there are not expository or plot driven musical sequences, but the moments of song and dance in the movie are incredible.
Overall, I think 'The Testament of Ann Lee' is worth a watch in theatres if only because of the sound/music of the film. You'll get to see some great performances from Amanda Seyfried and Lewis Pullman as well.
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