October 14, 2004
Girl With A Pearl Earring
Colin Firth .... Johannes Vermeer
Scarlett Johansson .... Griet
Tom Wilkinson .... Van Ruijven
Judy Parfitt .... Maria Thins
Cillian Murphy .... Pieter
Essie Davis .... Catharina
Joanna Scanlan .... Tanneke
Alakina Mann .... Cornelia
Based on the novel by Tracy Chevalier, Girl With A Pearl Earring tells the fictional story of the maid who inspired one of Vermeer's more famous paintings.
The acting by the main two leads in this movie is superb. Scarlett Johansson shines as the servant who shares a love of color with her employer, played by Colin Firth. Colin Firth does a good job of portraying both the angst and joy of being a painter trying to support his family. The other characters, such as Vermeer's wife, children, and mother-in-law, are not so fleshed out but you still get a sense of the family and master/servant dynamic.
The cinematography was brilliant! There are scenes in the movie that were filmed to look like some of Vermeer's paintings, including the pearl earring shot. Color and lighting were used to convey certain moods as well as class distinctions.
The only complaints I have about this movie are that while there some scenes which go on far too long, the movie itself feels very short (and as a society that's getting used to movies that are 2+ hours, this movie at 1:36 might be). There are things that I know about the characters and the plot because I've read the book that aren't explained in the movie and because of this, the movie sometimes feels like it's missing something.
Overall, an enjoyable experience.