Girl With A Pearl Earring (2003 95min.) [BBC4 9.00pm]
Peter Webber's film isn't going to fit the bill if you're looking for car chases, hilarity, flesh eating zombies or amazing special effects.
If, however, you think that a ninety minute imagined backstory about 17th. century Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer's most famous painting sounds like perfect wednesday night viewing, then this is the film for you.
Beautifully shot, using colour and stillness perfectly to reflect Vermeer's painting style, the story moves along at a lethargic pace and yet still manages to retain the viewer's interest through it's arresting visual style.
Superb work on the acting front by Scarlett Johansson and the always excellent Colin Firth. There's also an excellent supporting cast (including Cillian Murphy, Judy Parfitt and Tom Wilkinson.)
It's a film that depends very much on the viewer entering into the mood of the piece.
I thoroughly enjoyed it at the cinema where there were no distractions and I could just focus on the film, the photography, the story and the acting.
I've watched it on DVD twice : once with the usual household noises and distractions going on around me - found the pacing and the stillness irritating; and once after everyone else was in bed one night when it spun it's magic all over again.
Nice music too. A satisfying and assured film.
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