Mike Leigh's sprawling J.M.W. Turner biopic opens with a marvelous extended - take long shot: A windmill's silhouette churns its
blades against the rays of the rising sun as two Flemish maids enter the frame carrying buckets of water on their
shoulders, the camera tracking with them along the muddy banks of a canal before
settling finally on a distant figure in top hat, Mr. Turner (Timothy Spall), fervidly sketching the scene in a portfolio.