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Girl with a Pearl Earring

This film (and the Tracy Chevalier book it is based on) is inspired by speculation about the source of the famous Johannes Vermeer painting named in the title. Scarlett Johansson, a rising star in Hollywood, plays Griet, a maid newly employed by the Vermeer household who eventually becomes the model for the painting. During the course of the film, she becomes the victim of mischief by the Vermeer children, a target of jealousy by Catharina Vermeer (Essie Davis), and a source of inspiration and companionship for the artist himself. Eventually overcoming these obstacles, Griet manages to live life on her own terms and maintains her dignity throughout.

The plot is a bit formulaic, complete with the sterotypes of a leering aristocratic patron (Tom Wilkinson) and poor but charming love interest in the guise of the local butcher's son (Cillian Murphy), but this is balanced by the quality of the performances. Johansson's radiance shines through her modest Protestant garb, and Colin Firth (perhaps the best actor you have never heard of) convincingly plays the brooding artist (although in retrospect, he may have overplayed this a little, lots of glowering and hooded eyebrows going on there).

Oh, and I should mention the cinematography. The dark interiors and muted color palette accented with shards of light make the film seem as if it is a Vermeer painting itself. In one scene, Vermeer explains the process to Griet where a painting is constructed from a base of solid colors forming the basic shapes and outlines with overlaid glazes providing the depth and detail. This is a fine metaphor for the film as well. The slow and almost static pacing allows the story to unfold slowly, adding complexity and insight in layers as if we were watching a Vermeer masterpiece take form before our eyes.

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