Thursday, 18 March 2004
Girl With a Pearl Earring
What makes us who we are? Is it what we do, or how we do it? Or is it something beyond our control, or even immutable - a state into which we were born, living out our lives until we experience a single, final change?
These are metaphysical questions, and to be fair Girl With a Pearl Earring isn't attempting to answer any of them. But - tangentially, at least - it touches on each one.
Beyond that, I'm not quite sure how to look at this film.
Sure, it was fun to see Colin Firth as a brooding and moody artist instead of the bumbling guys with hearts of gold that I've grown accustomed from him (Bridget Jones's Diary, Love Actually). And make no mistake, Scarlett Johansson is on my list ...of favorite up-and-coming actresses. Not just anyone could rise to Bill Murray's level, yet that's exactly what she did in Lost in Translation.
But the importance of a film isn't really about what new roles it gives its actors, or how they do compared to their other roles. The problem is, it's otherwise a straightforward story: women's place in society (and their role beyond baby-making machines); growing up and the confusion it brings; finding one's voice, and harmonizing it with others'. There was really nothing in its rather brief time its reels unwound (95 minutes) to sink my teeth into.
I don't know, maybe it's because I was still recovering from having just seen Big Fish immediately beforehand. Maybe it's because there isn't meant to be more to the film - I never read the original novel, after all. I wouldn't put it beyond me to miss some sort of subtle subtext.
But am I missing something? Maybe not: sometimes it's all right to simply exist. Still, considering this was a period piece, that it had some good actors, interesting subject material and beautiful images, I left hungry. I would've hoped to come away changed - if only slightly, and certainly more than had I instead spent the same time sleeping in late.
2 / 5 : pretty pictures, nice cinematography, interesting contrasts (and similarities) with modern life - should I have expected more, or less?