Girl With a Pearl Earring

This so rarely happens -- I like a film better because I originally read the book. Usually, I'm disappointed in a director's vision because I had my own vision while reading. (Lord of the Rings is another exception to the rule.) In this case, I enjoyed the film better because someone (read: art director) cared enough to make every scene look like a Vermeer painting. And since one of the intents of the book is to enhance your appreciation of Vermeer's masterpieces, this is manifested as subtext in the film. I found nearly every image breath-taking, and I don't have qualms with the story -- a young Dutch maid secretly becomes a model for a famous artist -- as some seem to. Since it mirrors Tracy Chevalier's novel, perhaps it's the book people should take issue with. Scarlett Johansson is perfect. When she finally turns her head to the camera with the pearl in her ear and the blue and yellow wraps on her head, you think "how lucky were they, finding an actress who can do subtle and who looks the part?" Colin Firth is better here than in recent films, if only because he gets a chance to use those chaste smoldering glances he became famous for in Pride and Prejudice. And, in one of my more surreal movie-going moments, I watched 28 Days Later... several hours after seeing this film. Yes, that is Cillian Murphy in both films (starring in the former, while only window-dressing in the latter), and I never even noticed until the rolling credits. But, that's a review for another day...

year: 2003
length: 95 min.
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335119/combined