This film (adapted from Tracy Chevailer's best selling book) is set in 17th century Holland and features the artist Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth) who strikes up an unlikely connection with the new serving girl Griet (Scarlet Johannsen). She then becomes the subject for his famous portrait, the girl with the pearl earring. Griet has to contend with the domineering mother in law, the jealous wife and a petulant brat while she forms a strange, mostly unspoken bond with the artist across the class divide.
So far so A level art history.
I've read a few reviews of this film which rave about its brilliance. Call me a philistine, but I found it all a bit tedious. It's not that I was expecting any car chases, but there's only so much slowness of pace you can take before you begin to wonder if the story is a little thin on the ground. Granted, the exquisite scenery does an adequate job of padding out the threadbare plot, although there' s only so many authentically dressed seventeenth century peasants you can deal with in one sitting.
Perhaps it's just all above my head but the story seemed to me less about erotic tension and more about Scarlett Johanssen having what can only be described as a bit of a gob on throughout the entire film. I don't blame her. All those 'meaningful' silences and heavy handed metaphors must have been very trying. Watch out for the 'hand twitching' scene where the sexual tension is laid on with the proverbial trowel, and then underlined with a big red pen.
<*dv_0*> Colin Firth (as the artist Vermmer) wheels out his usual 'moody and reserved' routine (some might call, it undertstated..I would call it rubbish) while Jonansenn bravely carries off a role that requires her to do little more than pout and look a bit pissed off. Cillian Murphy ( 28 Days Later ) provides a romantic interest, although he is very underused. The other characters such as Vermeer's wife and mother in law are also instantly forgettable.
This is the type of film I usually despise because it seems to have been created entirely for the benefit of slightly stupid, slightly posh people who can feel terribly intellectual for watching it, and can then bray about how 'delightful' and 'charming' it is at dinner parties. So I'm sure it will get an Oscar, as films I hate usually do.
Pretentious and dull. Nuff said.
Review by Mel Cabeldu
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