Girl With A Pearl Earring: iVillage review
Starring: Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Judy Parfitt, Cillian Murphy
Director: Peter WebberRunning time: 99 minutes
Certificate: 12A
Released: 16 January 2004
What's it about?
Girl With A Pearl Earring is the fictional tale of a young girl named Griet (Scarlett Johansson), whose family - having fallen on hard times - is forced to send her into service at the house of the famous 17th-century painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth).
Griet's duties as a maid include cleaning her master's painting studio, but when he recognises her natural instinct for art, she quickly becomes his secret assistant, mixing paints, learning how to use a camera obscura and even helping him choose the composition of his paintings. She eventually becomes the subject of one of Vermeer's most famous paintings, The Girl With The Pearl Earring, about which the novel's author Tracy Chevalier created her story.
Unfortunately, the meddling of Vermeer's spiteful daughter Cornelia, the suspicions of his jealous wife (Catharina) and the baser instincts of the Vermeer family's rich benefactor Van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson) conspire against her. This, combined with the pursuit of a young butcher's son whom her family wish her to marry, leaves Griet constantly struggling to maintain her place within Vermeer's household.
Is it any good?
Some claimed that Scarlett Johansson was miscast as the young and innocent Griet, but her likeness to the original painting is truly impressive. Her portrayal of Griet as she comes to terms with her new position in service, the vengeful actions of a malicious child and her confused feelings towards Vermeer, is brilliant and ensures that the somewhat slow development of the story remains gripping to the end. Colin Firth is excellent as the brooding, moody and tortured Vermeer and the chemistry between the two leading actors is apparent.
The film is fairly faithful to the book's narrative, and covers the tense and loaded interaction between Vermeer and his muse. If you're expecting a fast-paced, Hollywood storyline, then you'll be disappointed but if you love the book and the painting, and savour a simmering story of barely-realised love, you'll enjoy every minute. In fact you'll probably want to see it again to ensure you haven't missed every detail.
Marks out of 10: 8
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Created: 08/01/2004 Updated: 02/09/2004
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