i adored francis lee's debut god's own country, and this film follows a similar path. a stoic, off putting person deep in their work begrudgingly takes on a new colleague, and romance ensues. unfortunately, all of the spark that made god's own country special is completely absent from ammonite. there's an interesting enough story under the surface, and winslet and ronan both give individually good performances, but none of that can make up for the complete lack of chemistry. it was cold and emotionless, even when it was trying not to be. something is just missing. and, when it comes to a romance film, if the emotions don't hit, then what's the point of it all anyway?