Girl with a Pearl Earring is a beautiful movie. It's beautifully designed, gorgeously shot, has a lovely score and a beautiful performance by the incredibly talented Scarlett Johansson in the lead role.
Unfortunately, it is also a very boring movie. While the slow pace was perfect for the novel, here it seems as though we are treated to scene after scene of the characters doing, well, nothing - or at least, nothing interesting.
Also disappointing are the performances by much of the rest of the cast. Tom Wilkinson was good but underused; Colin Firth, who is normally very good and occasionally entertaining as well, sulks about the lovely sets, looking as bored as I felt. He also looked eerily like David Boreanaz in the Buffy and Angel flashback scenes. I was half-expecting him to bite into someone's neck - which would have at least made things somewhat more interesting. Alas, no neck-biting this time.
Worse yet is what happened to Alakina Mann. Excellent in "The Others", she is given nothing to do here - and that's just criminal. If memory serves, the book-Cornelia was a spiteful, jealous, and ultimately very vindictive little girl. Here she's just a typical annoying brat. Miss Mann can do better - she certainly deserves much better.
Overall, I'd give this a weak 6, because although the movie was boring, at least it was pretty to look at.
Unfortunately, it is also a very boring movie. While the slow pace was perfect for the novel, here it seems as though we are treated to scene after scene of the characters doing, well, nothing - or at least, nothing interesting.
Also disappointing are the performances by much of the rest of the cast. Tom Wilkinson was good but underused; Colin Firth, who is normally very good and occasionally entertaining as well, sulks about the lovely sets, looking as bored as I felt. He also looked eerily like David Boreanaz in the Buffy and Angel flashback scenes. I was half-expecting him to bite into someone's neck - which would have at least made things somewhat more interesting. Alas, no neck-biting this time.
Worse yet is what happened to Alakina Mann. Excellent in "The Others", she is given nothing to do here - and that's just criminal. If memory serves, the book-Cornelia was a spiteful, jealous, and ultimately very vindictive little girl. Here she's just a typical annoying brat. Miss Mann can do better - she certainly deserves much better.
Overall, I'd give this a weak 6, because although the movie was boring, at least it was pretty to look at.
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