Wonderful character development!

Please don't spend money on this.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Although the film promises a narrative on the celebrated writer and philosopher, Ayn Rand, the actual script seems to focus as much on other people. Helen Mirren tries valiantly to portray the creator of objectivism, yet is thwarted by many other characters with their own peculiar passions.Who can say how factual is this expose-type narrative? In a way it plays like "Mommie Dearest," full of juicy tidbits that may or may not be factual. One thing is for sure: we learn much more about the main character's bedroom escapades than her groundbreaking philosophy.It's a strange narrative, straining more to uncover secrets and proclivities than deep philosophical revelations. In the end, it doesn't seem to do much for either, and we're left with a story inclined to nitpick and scratch for things soiled and spent.Rand deserves better than this, and I for one look forward to a more comprehensive treatment of a fascinating and deeply creative artist.

A pretty dreadful, made-for-TV look biopic. There's very little character to fire the imagination, let alone any sympathy. The script concentrates doggedly on recording history and trying to explain Ayn Rand's philosophy.We undoubtedly get a horribly disembowelled version of Rand's 'objectivism' - in this film that simply means 'being selfish' and 'uncaring'. Consequently the cast are a bit scuppered. Mirren works fairly hard, with a consistent accent, but the rest are average-to-lame... Peter Fonda's Frank is dreadfully wooden.Further issues: there are lots of close framed shots (which save on having to create period sets); a surfeit of weeping to camera; and there's no big-arc coherence - the opening flashback isn't recalled at the denouement. Cheap and, worse, probably inaccurate. 2/10

Having read almost all of Rand's works and considering her a brilliant philosopher and writer, I was apprehensive about seeing her personal side in a movie. I was not disappointed. I understand her work very well and was able to completely separate her personal conduct from her philosophy. Was her personal conduct in conflict or harmony with her philosophy? An esoteric question, and I don't care.She was once quoted as saying that the character Kira, in her book 'We The Living', was the closest thing to an autobiography that she would ever write. Kira was a pure character with heroic characteristics. Ayn Rand in real life was probably not. Again, I don't care. None of this detracts from her philosophy. By the way, don't miss Rand's book-turned-into-film 'We The Living' starring Rossano Brazzi and Alida Valli filmed in Italy during WWII without Rand's knowledge or blessing. It is a cinematic feast. Italian actors, Russian setting, English subtitles and well adapted. Reportedly, Hitler had it canned after one showing because it criticized totalitarian dictatorships.Back to this movie. It is reasonably well done and very interesting. Hoving subscribed to her newsletter, 'The Objectivist', I will never forget the short column she wrote therein, something to the effect "Nathaniel Branden is no longer associated with me, etc" (after she had dedicated Atlas Shrugged to him).There is a human side to every hero.Above all, read 'The Fountainhead', her greatest work. Forget the film, it was poorly adapted (by Rand?) and Cooper/Neal did not do the book's characters justice.

A soap opera about Barbara Branden, even with the lovely Julie Delpy doing the honors, is not very interesting unless one makes Barbara Branden the main character. But, this is The Passion of Ayn Rand, which of course it isn't. Even though Helen Mirren absolutely nails the part and does a great job of capturing the image of Ayn Rand, we just don't get much of a movie here and the whole production smacks of 'made for tv.' I've always been a big fan of Ayn Rand, even though I'm a liberal, and I guess I hoped for something with a little more quality about her writing, philosophy, and the unusual woman she actually was, you know, the passion of Ayn Rand.