Girl With A Pearl Earring DVD Review

"GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING" reviews

DVD

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2005-10-26 11:16:32

Provider

DVD Review

This gently-paced feature, based on Tracy Chevalier's novel, hypothesises on the story behind Dutch artist Vermeer's painting 'Girl With A Pearl Earring', centering on the relationship between the artist and his subject.

Colin Firth plays Vermeer, an oddly moody man who spends his hours locked in his studio. Meanwhile, his wife (Essie Davis) cranks out the kids and his disapproving mother-in-law (Judy Parfitt) scowls her contempt at his closed door. When a young girl, Griet (Scarlett Johansson) comes to work for the family, a bond begins to form between her and Vermeer and, thanks to the intervention of Vermeer's patron (Tom Wilkinson), she becomes the subject of the artist's most famous work.

Now movie-making is, in a very real sense, art. Film can provoke emotion, cause controversy and fall into genres or periods - much as a painter steps behind a canvas, a director steps behind the camera. Both, in their early work are unlikely to create anything especially noteworthy. However, director Webber has proved that he has a select and deft touch with a first feature that's full of style, wit and charm.

We've come to expect good things from the likes of Firth and the rapidly-rising Johansson and Girl With A Pearl Earring certainly doesn't disappoint.

Copyright © 2005.

DVD

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2005-10-27 22:16:48

Provider

DVD Review

This gently-paced feature, based on Tracy Chevalier's novel, hypothesises on the story behind Dutch artist Vermeer's painting 'Girl With A Pearl Earring', centering on the relationship between the artist and his subject.

Colin Firth plays Vermeer, an oddly moody man who spends his hours locked in his studio. Meanwhile, his wife (Essie Davis) cranks out the kids and his disapproving mother-in-law (Judy Parfitt) scowls her contempt at his closed door. When a young girl, Griet (Scarlett Johansson) comes to work for the family, a bond begins to form between her and Vermeer and, thanks to the intervention of Vermeer's patron (Tom Wilkinson), she becomes the subject of the artist's most famous work.

Now movie-making is, in a very real sense, art. Film can provoke emotion, cause controversy and fall into genres or periods - much as a painter steps behind a canvas, a director steps behind the camera. Both, in their early work are unlikely to create anything especially noteworthy. However, director Webber has proved that he has a select and deft touch with a first feature that's full of style, wit and charm.

We've come to expect good things from the likes of Firth and the rapidly-rising Johansson and Girl With A Pearl Earring certainly doesn't disappoint.

Special DVD features include: Audio commentaries from director Peter Webber and screenwriter Olivia Hetreed; deleted scenes with optional audio commentary from Peter Webber; Anatomy Of A Scene and Making Of featurettes.

Copyright © 2005.