Girl With A Pearl Earring | ||||
Peter Webber Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkenson, Judy Parfitt, Cillian Murphy, Essie Davis, Joanna Scanlan, Alakina Mann 2003 |
Making up for its shortcomings as a drama with the sheer beauty of its every frame, "Girl With a Pearl Earring" is a remarkable achievement in mood, art direction and cinematography. The movie version of Tracy Chevalier's novel purports to tell the story behind what is one of the most renowned paintings by the 17th century Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. It stars Colin Firth as Vermeer and Scarlett Johansson as Griet, a 17-year old peasant girl who takes a job as a maid in the artist's household. Though she runs afoul of his wife, his daughter and his mother-in-law, Griet catches Vermeer's eye and that of his wealthy, sybaritic patron (Tom Wilkinson) who commissions a portrait of the maid. Thus, Vermeer has Griet, a muse of sorts, sit and model for the beautiful, enigmatic portrait. Although the supposed passion inspired by the maid and the creation of her likeness doesn't come through, Johansson is luminous and wholly credible as the subject of the portrait; it's a piece of casting so perfect it defies the eye. Besides, the careful evocation of the period, from the streets of Delft to the quality of light streaming through the windows of Vermeer's studio, is reason enough to commend the film. The act of watching it is comparable to the experience of wandering through a gallery and taking in a sumptuous assortment of paintings. | |||
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