GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
Released: January 9, 2004
When I saw Gus Van Sant's "Gerry" in the movie theatre, whole groups of people left during the film, unable to endure the fact it wasn't a spoonfed Hollywood action movie. The same thing happened during my viewing of "Girl With A Pearl Earring". Entirely different movies - "Gerry" is a modern day film about two guys lost in the desert while "Girl With A Pearl Earring" is about a 17th century Dutch painter struggling to create his next masterpiece. Apparently, many of my fellow movie watchers found "watching paint dry" just a tad too much to bear and *had* to leave the theatre, most likely to get a McHappy meal and go home to watch "American Idol". However, "Girl With A Pearl Earring" is much more than a film about watching paint dry. Colin Firth is first billed as the aforementioned Dutch artist but the film belongs to Scarlett Johansson, who plays Griet, a new maid in the painter's house who eventually becomes his muse. Like "Gerry", there can be long segments without dialogue and indeed, some scenes are of paint in drying mode, but what makes this movie work is the attention to detail - both by the film makers and asked of the viewer. By watching the little things, the viewer is transformed into the world of the tiny details. Peter Webber directs this with a flare for the period and the details. Both Firth and Johansson (a rising star of gigantic proportions) are perfect here. Support comes beautifully from Tom Wilkinson, Judy Parfitt, Cillian Murphy and Alakina Mann. If you prefer your movies dumbed down and spoonfed to you, avoid "Girl With A Pearl Earring". Go rent "Scooby Doo" instead. If you enjoy a thoughtful story rich with details, give this one a try.
95 Minutes
Lions Gate Films