I found Ammonite to be an enjoyable experience as a piece of entertainment. The central figure, Mary Anning, proved to be a captivating individual. She comes across as reserved and distant, particularly when meeting new people. Still, she tolerates her mother’s controlling nature, possibly in an attempt to maintain harmony or simply because they share a familial bond. Her commitment to science through paleontology is clear, but she also needs to earn money by crafting small items for sale to visitors. She's compelling, which is certainly a positive attribute for a lead character. However, Mary Anning was a real person, and the filmmakers chose to fictionalize her story by including a lesbian relationship that isn’t backed up by any historical records. This is a common occurrence in films, and it does contribute to the narrative's progression, though it didn't fully satisfy a relative of Mary Anning who expressed concern about whether portraying her this way was respectful. It brought to mind Cinderella Man, directed by Ron Howard; Max Baer’s son voiced objections because the film made Max seem more brutal than he actually was. Baer had a jovial personality, and even his opponents enjoyed interacting with him outside of the boxing ring. But that's simply what directors often do. A potential consequence of this added storyline is the ambiguous conclusion. The final nature of the two women’s connection remains unclear, which may be due in part to the lack of definitive information about Mary Anning’s sexuality throughout history. Of course, this isn't a documentary; it’s a biographical film, something entirely different, as I mentioned earlier. Without this movie, I wouldn’t have learned about Mary Anning at all, despite her significance. Therefore, I believe the film ultimately enhances her reputation and historical standing. Occasionally, a well-known biopic sparks greater interest and recognition for a person from the past, which is hard to view negatively.

Source on TMDB