Tress - but who is the woman in Marianne's photo who has her hand dangerously close to ODB's bum!?? That's what I wanna know! ;-) Dorine - Oh, I wondered that, too! :-D She's his handler. And thank you so much Karen, you worked miracles on the photos.

Great article Karen! Was that from the new issue or are there American and British versions of Elle?

(Dorine) Hey, I'll be the first to admit I'm just jealous of the jammy git. ;-D I hear ya! ;-) (Moon) It looks like a low profile premiere. Who are those people? Was wondering about that too...many I didn't recognize at all...but, hey! Jacqueline Bissett and Topher Grace were there! ;-) Topher ('That 70s Show' is one of my guilty pleasures)! Have noticed that Tanneke (Joanna Scanlan) is in many, many pics with ODB...LOL...can't say I blame her, just wondering what her thoughts are on working with Colin. ;-) Thanks Mari for the LA times synopsis...I love those types of reviews..."Firth is a fine actor" but....

(Marianne) She's his handler. Ah! LOL...the key being the 'handle' part! ;-) Where does one sign up to handle ODB?? Sorry for the double post!

(Lora)Ah, how precipitous - when it rains it pours! That would be Three Days of Rain . .right?:) Karen - Cute article from Elle . . . trying to picture ODB "window shopping" or on the make. .wonder what type catches his eye now since he is settled down :) (Karen)FYI, one of the people Colin is shown talking to at the GWAPE premiere is president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. Finally! Hooray! . .Speaking of which, the announcement of the nominations for the 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards are announced on Thursday, December 18 @ 5:30 a.m.PT/ 8:30 AM ET at the Beverly Hilton.

Sorry for double post . . . Marianne - Just got called back from Backstage West . .. there was no recording or transcript made of the Q&A after the screening(ah well) . .let us know how the pics the photographer took look like when they are published!

(Dorine) but thought they were the object of some ridicule, despite having the GG's Derision, more like. They'll show up anywhere for free food and drinks. ;-) (Marianne) She's his handler. The woman works for Lions Gate and would be the one to steer him through all these screenings and to-dos; she was also the one in charge of the premiere. Marianne (or any LA-based Droolers): can you post the GWAPE review from the LA Times? From the Elle interview (US edition, Jan 2004, Makeover Issue) on the last page, a section called Cherchez La Femme: Elle: Tongues? CF: No. [Ed note: Hasn't made any progress.] BTW, can't be much chasing in a very, very small room with one other person.

I like-a the velvet jacket and cord trousers.And last week the coat 'n tie at the Savoy.Whoa...! Enjoying the high life with Martini's.. ..before he hits the nappies mode;-)

(Karen) The woman works for Lions Gate and would be the one to steer him through all these screenings and to-dos; she was also the one in charge of the premiere. Is this the same woman? One behind ODB in this pic? The blonde was in the car with him, but as soon as he got out, the dark haird woman took over. She sort of steered him around while he was outside by the pen and in the press tent. (Karen) BTW, can't be much chasing in a very, very small room with one other person. Exactly...he's not a dummy! And as far as the no tongues...the girl could have taken a little initiative! What was she thinking?!

No, not the same one. Remember, GWAPE is Lions Gate and LA is Universal.

(Karen) No, not the same one. Remember, GWAPE is Lions Gate and LA is Universal. That was at the GWAPE gala. Lion's Gate...

Karen - can you post the GWAPE review from the LA Times? http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-pearl12dec12,2,541623.story?coll=cl-mreview Colin Firth, right, plays Vermeer and Scarlett Johansson his model in "Girl With a Pearl Earring." (Jaap Buitendijk) A pearl of beauty 'Girl With a Pearl Earring' may lack dramatic subtlety, but its sheer visual appeal is a great achievement. By Kenneth Turan, Times Staff Writer It's not till the very end of "Girl With a Pearl Earring" that we get to see the actual 17th century Johannes Vermeer painting that inspired both Tracy Chevalier's bestselling novel and this film adaptation � and that is as it should be. For it is a measure of how convincingly book and film have conveyed the author's compelling notions of this masterpiece's back story, the imaginative re-creation of how this particular painting came to be, that when we finally see it we can't help but feel that we understand the art with a depth and richness of knowledge we have not had before. We feel we're seeing, so to speak, beyond the canvas to the human story that the author imagined when she wrote the novel to answer the question, "What did Vermeer do to her to make her look like that, happy and sad at the same time?" Though the screen version of "Girl With a Pearl Earring" is not in the same class as the painting, the success it has in being both convincing and involving is paradoxical two times over. While Chevalier's quietly and persuasively written book was a feat of language in the service of literary imagination, the film's virtues are almost completely visual. And those visuals are so impressive and overpowering that they largely make up for the fact that the book's delicate story has been somewhat standardized into a tale that lacks the subtlety and grace that made the novel so involving. As envisioned by director Peter Webber, production-designed by the veteran Ben van Os ("Orlando" and the work of Peter Greenaway) and gorgeously photographed by Eduardo Serra (Oscar nominated for "The Wings of the Dove"), "Girl" is so beautifully rendered it truly seems painted with light. Set in Delft, Holland, in the late 1660s, "Girl" is a gratifyingly tactile movie, concerned with surfaces, objects and the wonder of seeing. As befits the story of a man whose eyes, a character in the novel says, "are worth a room full of gold," it offers an impeccable re-creation of the ambience of that time, taking us from bustling outdoor markets to cramped, candlelit interiors to the crystalline light of the painter's studio. It's almost as if the filmmakers wanted to shoot in Vermeer-influenced light, wanted to suggest he painted the way he did because that's the way the world looked to him. And now, thanks to these visual wonders, to us. Aside from its look, "Girl's" other great asset is actress Scarlett Johansson as Griet, Vermeer's 17-year-old model and inspiration. With this period role following right behind "Lost in Translation's" ultramodern girl, Johansson underlines her great ability to fit in everywhere, no matter what the setting or era. Johansson has to do much more than remarkably resemble the girl in the painting (which she does). Though Chevalier's book takes place mostly inside Griet's head, the film has wisely avoided voice-over, so it falls to Johansson and her gift for showing feelings without words, for looking bland, inquisitive or furious as the situation demands, to convey the panoply of emotions she is experiencing. Griet is introduced at a low point in her young life. Her father, a tile painter, has been blinded in an accident, and the family finances demand that she take a job, specifically as a maid in the house of the celebrated painter Vermeer (Colin Firth). With Vermeer's wife exhausted and ill-humored from a constant stream of children, the other servants suspicious and the children an irritant, no one in the house is happy to see Griet. A flirtation with Pieter (Cillian Murphy), the local butcher's son, might have provided some diversion if Griet were that kind of girl, but she is not. The power in the establishment is in the hands of the artist's shrewd mother-in-law, Maria Thins (Judy Parfitt). Though the film doesn't make this clear, Griet was specifically hired to clean Vermeer's studio so that no object be disturbed. She's immediately transfixed by the sacred nature of that space, by the painter's work and, very soon, by the painter himself. What "Girl" does well, perhaps because of Webber's background as a maker of documentaries, is illustrate Griet's increasing involvement with the physical details of painting. She's fascinated � and so are we � as Vermeer explains his technique, shows her how colors are made, even introduces her to the wonders of the camera obscura. Griet enjoys being Vermeer's chaste apprentice/accomplice, until the possibility of her being a model brings the pressures of her place in the painter's household to a boil and points up difficulties in the story as filmed. Firth is a fine actor with strong romantic roles in films from "Bridget Jones's Diary" to "Love Actually" � which may be part of the difficulty. While the book is smartly circumspect about the artist's manner and appearance, the film can't seem to help turning Vermeer into one of those brooding, heedless, dashingly romantic figures that have become standard in film for generations. While this ups the romance quotient and increases the smoldering looks, it also makes for a more obvious interpersonal dynamic. This obviousness is increased by the problematic nature of Olivia Hetreed's adaptation. It pushes the plot toward increasingly conventional romantic situations, and its dialogue is a lot less facile than the novel's. Having Vermeer's lecherous patron Van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson) say, "I won't turn out for small beer and biscuits" is not only clumsy, it makes the film sound unconvincingly British in a way that's totally at variance with the novel's sensibility. These may be small problems, but in a film this exquisitely put together and based on a book that exactly calibrates its effects, these departures from verisimilitude are noticeable and troublesome. But even if "Girl With a Pearl Earring" is not nearly as remarkable dramatically as it is visually, it is, finally, a film of great beauty, and that is something worth appreciating. 'Girl With a Pearl Earring' MPAA rating: PG-13, for some sexual content Times guidelines: Moments of sensuality, adult themes Colin Firth ... Vermeer Scarlett Johansson ... Griet Tom Wilkinson ... Van Ruijven Judy Parfitt ... Maria Thins Cillian Murphy ... Pieter Pathe Pictures presents in association with UK Film Council, released by Lions Gate Films. Director Peter Webber. Producers Andy Paterson, Anand Tucker. Executive producers Fran�ois Ivernel, Cameron McCracken, Duncan Reid, Tom Ortenberg, Peter Block, Daria Jovicic, Philip Erdoes, Nick Drake. Screenplay Olivia Hetreed, based on the novel by Tracy Chevalier. Cinematographer Eduardo Serra. Editor Kate Evans. Costumes Dien van Straalen. Music Alexandre Desplat. Production design Ben van Os. Art director Christina Schaffer. Set decorator Cecile Heideman. Running time: 1 hour, 39 minutes. In limited release.

some more pics.....:) (huge link) http://217.158.83.123/scripts/kws30pre.exe?site=LFI&picktype=GfxOnly&type=GfxOnly&maxhits=24&FLFA_FIELD=&SEARCH_FILTERA=&search=LFNY+004916&hmessage=GIRL%20WITH%20THE%20PEARL%20EARRINGS%20PREMIERE&submit=lsearch you can watch the kilborn/5 questions here: http://www.cbs.com/latenight/latelate/5questions/

(Tress) That was at the GWAPE gala. Lion's Gate... Ooops, I didn't check the photo's provenance (TIFF). As I recall, Pathe was the lead at Toronto, not LG. Was that woman his handler at TIFF too? Thanks, Marianne, for posting the review, a mixed one, again.

(Karen) Was that woman his handler at TIFF too? He seemed to have two women with him. There was the blonde who rode with him...and then this woman....and she was the one who would take his arm and tug him along the carpet...move him along (so I am guessing she was doing the 'handling'). She and the blonde spent some time talking while ODB signed autographs. In Marianne's pics I can only see her from the side, but from the mouth, they look like the same woman to me???

Yup, that sure does look like her. Works for LG. Want her phone number to ask? Sorry, I forgot, she doesn't answer her phone anymore. ;-)

Marianne, there's another LA Times article that was just posted; sounds like an interview with Webber and colin. Can you access it for us and post? www.calendarlive/movies Imagining an elusive Dutch painter's world MOVIES: Little is known about Vermeer, a challenge for first-time filmmaker Peter Webber and star Colin Firth in 'Girl With a Pearl Earring.'

Sorry, make that: http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/

Holy Cow, I'm out for a few hours and it seems that all hell has broken loose in here. Where do I begin? First a huge Thank You for everyone who has posted articles, interviews, reviews and pictures. OMG, the pictures. The cocktail party looks like it was a blast. (Scarlet perfecting her Livia pose once, again;-) But, Oh Joy...the cocktail party reveals the cord around his neck, but what the heck is it? Looks like beads? (just had to sneak this one picture)(hope it works) (Tress)Oddly enough I noticed that too, but thought I was imagining..or needed better glasses. LOL, I noticed it the first time I saw the pictuers, didn't want to say anything. I kept trying to figure out if it was the light playing with the pattern of her dress. Dorine those hug photos are amazing. Wow. Won't say anymore. Hola, thanks for that postivie news. Plural? I love plural. Welcome back Moon. Did I miss anything? I need a lie down. Whew!

(Karen) Was that woman his handler at TIFF too? That's it. *slapping head in disbelief* I've waited a lifetime to figure out what I want to do. It's been here all the time. I want to be a handler. Not just any handler-I'm very particular.

(Linda)Oh Joy...the cocktail party reveals the cord around his neck, but what the heck is it? Looks like beads? Mmmm, thanks Linda! Well that's a verification of the silver beads that showed up in one of the NY LA premiere pics that Rika found. I remember us crowded around her laptop Friday night looking at four cubic-ish silver beads that showed up on the other side of the necklace through his very open shirt. Tress and Maria (I think, but my memory is kind of fuzzy) were trying to figure out if the very enlarged picture showed the four beads with an initial engraved in each one (W, L, L, and M in order, for Will, Livia, Luca, and Matteo). This picture in combo with that one, which I unfortunately cannot access, would make me think approximately 16 beads (I used to be an avid beader). Ok, enough.

Sorry for the douple post, but I'm really fanatical about the cord. ;-) http://colinfirth.casa-feliz.net/images/details.php?image_id=2024

I think it's just a different version that I see many mothers wear of the necklaces with little figures, sometimes with birthstones, to denote loved ones...children and spouse. Maybe his is an Italian or just an artsy version. Isn't there a name of some sort for those types of necklaces?

And I have to say, I'm not as fascinated with the necklace so much as the increasing frequency with which he's been wearing his shirts with the collar *much* more open. ;-P Though loved the tie (tied as poorly as it was) at that to-do the other day, also.

LA Times December 14, 2003 Imagining an elusive Dutch painter's world Little is known about Vermeer, a challenge for first-time filmmaker Peter Webber and star Colin Firth in 'Girl With a Pearl Earring.' By Kristin Hohenadel, Special to The Times The only thing riskier for box office potential than labeling a movie an art film might be calling it a film about art � even if it happens to be about the 17th century Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. Which may explain why director Peter Webber speaks of art as just one of many themes in his adaptation of Tracy Chevalier's bestselling 1999 novel, "Girl With a Pearl Earring." Just as the book used the mystery behind Vermeer's popular painting to invent a relationship between the artist and a servant girl who could have been his muse, Webber said that his project � starring Colin Firth as Vermeer, Scarlett Johansson as Griet (The Girl) and Tom Wilkinson as Vermeer's mercenary patron, Van Ruijven � is "more than just a quaint little film about art." It is, he says, about money, sex, repression, obsession, power and the human heart. The boyish, mile-a-minute Webber, 42, on the Luxembourg set, added that he cut out the artspeak but peppered the movie � his first feature film � with sly Vermeer references for those who will get them. "I want to make a film not only for the cognoscenti. It's a film about relationships between people, and the painting is a vehicle for exploring those relationships. "What happens when an old man becomes obsessed with a young girl? What happens to a couple with six children who've been together for 15 years when someone's work takes over their life? What happens when a woman feels that her husband's interest in her is waning? What do you do when money interferes with art?" Those are some of the questions that arise when a lovely young servant girl joins the Vermeer residence. Little is known about the elusive artist, who did not leave as much as a self-portrait behind, but the filmmakers decided on a shoulder-length wig for Firth, who was posing in front of the easel in a low-lighted, lead-windowed studio as Webber looked through the monitor from a side room. Webber said that this slightly dreamy atmosphere was a contrast to the highly colored peasant world of bustling Delft, where the artist lived and much of the action would take place. He wanted to avoid making a portrait of Holland using travel poster shortcuts, he said. "We've avoided windmills, tulips, Edam � no, sorry � Gouda cheese." In dreaming up the personage of Vermeer, Webber said that he and fellow Brit Firth � who, he points out, are close in age, background and cultural references � discussed everything from "the mundane to the incredibly pretentious." They went to a paint-grinding windmill in Amsterdam, to the museum in The Hague where the original painting is kept. They chased Vermeer's ghost to Delft. "We talked about everything from his walk to how we would wear his hat, stand, hold paintbrushes," Webber said, "and then to how enigmatic did we want him, how mysterious? You want to have a lot of those discussions before you start�. It's very expensive, talking on the set." If nobody knows what Vermeer looked like, Webber met every hot young actress in Hollywood to find the face of the ubiquitous painting (Kate Hudson was attached in an earlier financing of the project with Ralph Fiennes as Vermeer). But by now everyone on set was saying "Scarlett is The Girl!" "When I first saw the painting, my mom said, 'Oh, that's funny, the painting looks a little like you,' " Johansson said on a break between scenes, kneading her delicate hands in her costume apron. "And I said, 'No, it doesn't!' " But in a headscarf and with dyed blond eyebrows to match the painting's coloring, she admitted to a spooky resemblance. "When I'm in costume and I cock my head in just the right position and we're doing a very still pose, it can be very eerie � a thing the painting kind of exudes, it comes out in very still moments with the camera." The ever-more-popular Johansson, who turned 18 during the shoot, said that she was waiting to read the novel until after she finished shooting. But she seems to have reacted to the script, adapted by Olivia Hetreed, the way that many readers reacted to the novel. "The script was beautifully written," she said. "I was very moved and it's so rare that that happens. The character is very touching. She's sort of destined to be in a certain social class, and you know that when you begin the story. The relationship with Vermeer is very emotionally filled, and it's almost sort of impossible to grasp it � it's always sort of slipping away, and it's very painful and it's that pain you can so relate to of wanting someone or wanting something so badly and it slipping out of your hands always. And while you're reading you feel a kind of anguish and nervousness and it's exciting to get that kind of feeling when you're reading something. It's very appealing." Art history buffs While the filmmakers insist that "Girl With a Pearl Earring" is a romantic drama, not an arty art film, they all seemed keen on providing caveats about their art history backgrounds. Webber studied art history in college. At the end of the shooting day, Firth, who was still in turquoise corduroy costume, said: "My entire circle of friends went to art school � I was the odd one out. You talk about paintings at an enormous risk of sounding idiotic." But, twirling a strand of "hair" he nevertheless ventured forth, saying that at one point, he simply started to fall in love with art. Rothko was his first love, he said. "But I certainly never would have gone for Dutch paintings," he continued, "utterly generic pictures of women with brushes in their hands and writing letters with their maid in the background." That was, until he saw "Young Woman With a Water Jug" in person. "You just feel kind of at a loss in front of some of those pictures." Firth said that in the absence of material about Vermeer, he first looked to the paintings for guidance. "I think I kind of got myself tied into knots," he said. "There did come a point when I did stop looking at the pictures and just sort of came down from the clouds a bit and just did things that were practical. I could do all the research in the world and could never do an average portrait. But I found I loved the very tangible stuff of just mixing paints and working with brushes and canvases. I love the materials. They're not things I work with every day. Actors always have to pretend this and pretend that. If I can love mixing an incredibly beautiful bit of paint and I'm playing someone who loved doing that, then that's just a gift right in your hands." Firth admitted that he had become the resident Vermeerophile. "It's a bit pathetic, isn't it?" he said. "Extremely dull. I mean I would have to say, by way of apology for that, that I'm not really that interested in the dates and where the paintings all are and that � that's kind of a little boy's nerdy game that I play with other people." 'Appropriate' curiosity It seemed understandable that the actor would cling to whatever physical details he could, looking for clues to portraying the artist. "Rembrandt we know a lot about," he said. "Picasso was even within our lifetime � we're surrounded by people who had contact with him. Vermeer, we don't even have a clue as to what he looked like. He painted 35 pictures we know about, if that, and all these tantalizing prosaic details like dates and itinerary of possessions and information about his wife." But he was careful to point out that the film was not about to pop-psychoanalyze Vermeer, but to allow his mystery to stand. "It's not giving it a slant, like 'Amadeus,' " Firth said, "where we're making a decision about what kind of guy he is." Of course the theme of wanting to unmask the personality behind the work is a relevant one for a movie actor, and Firth doesn't shy away from the comparison. "I think that the curiosity is perfectly appropriate," he said. "The need to satisfy it is worthless and inappropriate and misguided. In the case of writers, and I can't think of who this was � Richard Ford, maybe? � said, so something I have written has struck a chord with you; you felt you've entered into some deep point of discourse with me, and now suddenly you want to know me, you're looking to expand that intimacy or to unleash some kind of secret behind it. And the best point of intimacy you will ever have with me is what I wrote in that book; I'm not capable of being any more intimate with any human being than I was right there. "You're talking about a guy washing his car, walking his dog. Or you meet a guy and you want him to be funny, and he says, 'No, I'm only funny when I've got hours to think of the next line.' I certainly know there are things I do when the camera is rolling that would be ludicrous in real life � the way I look at people, the way I allow myself to be exposed. Actors do things that their social convention would never allow them to in their own environment." After two romantic comedies this year, Firth said he chose the role partly as a change of pace. "It's actually fun to go for something that's not about the gags, to change gear and do something that's not ashamed of being earnest about what it is. I think it's rather risky because we're not hiding behind irony." Vermeer books littered with sticky notes and photocopies of Vermeer paintings were in evidence all over the set, and Webber said that they had "spent a lot of time and money getting the details right." But more daunting than the looming ghost of a great artist might be the specter of the novel's devoted fans. "With a novel, they've directed it in their heads," Webber said. "How many times have you gone to see a favorite book that's been turned into a film and you think: 'Nicolas Cage � he's not Captain Corelli!' or whatever. How many good films are there of favorite books of yours? I mean normally a film is disappointing, compared to a novel you love."

Thanks, Dorine! What a fascinating article -- one of the most substantive and revealing yet, about ODB's background (his circle of artistic friends), his approach to preparing for a role, and his intellectual curiosity, which I find admirable (though as usual he self-deprecatingly calls it his nerdiness). In dreaming up the personage of Vermeer, Webber said that he and fellow Brit Firth � who, he points out, are close in age, background and cultural references � discussed everything from "the mundane to the incredibly pretentious." They went to a paint-grinding windmill in Amsterdam, to the museum in The Hague where the original painting is kept. They chased Vermeer's ghost to Delft. Sounds like Webber treated CF as a peer and partner in developing the role of Vermeer, and really appreciates his talents. I remember he said something quite perceptive about CF�s appeal in the W article �Going Dutch� Karen posted on this site a while ago: "He also has a mystery, a dignity, a sternness and a romantic sexuality that�s particularly appealing to women." The romantic sexuality is what first attracts people to him, but it's the mystery and dignity and, well, I wouldn't call it sternness exactly, more like a kind of reserve and strength of character, that keep his fans (or me, at least) intrigued enough to keep coming back. (Sorry for rambling on, but I can only come out to play for a few minutes late at night, so gotta get in as much as I can! ;-)

(marianne) One last thing, he wore a black velvet jacket, grey corduroy trousers and brown shoes. ahaha ! the grey/brown combo, a new combination ! can't leave him a day alone without his falling back in mismatch hell ! (but the kryptonite might explain it). though it definitely looks like he's training for the next drool b'day bash, downing martinis, party hopping & all that. what next ? dancing lessons ? (tress) but who is the woman in Marianne's photo who has her hand dangerously close to ODB's bum!?? That's what I wanna know! ;-) (dorine) Oh, I wondered that, too! :-D (marianne) She's his handler. (karen) the woman works for Lions Gate and would be the one to steer him through all these screenings and to-dos hence, the leash. comes in handy for the handler. (whistle, whistle : "come here, boy, roll over. now, that's a good boy") on another plane : (peter webber in this IGN thingie) His painting, his art, is more important to him, actually, than his sex life. So, he's using all of that sexual energy to put into the painting. And if he had walked into that closet when she was taking the cap off, the painting would be over. ... It's the building up, it's the yearning that he was using as an artist. mmmhhh, would that be another case of 'sexying up' the original story ? this "blame it on the sex drive" explanation sounds very contrived/simplistic to me & rather ridiculous to tell you the truth (not to mention the 'been there seen that' factor)... but i guess i'll have to wait to see the movie to be the judge of that. sigh, may 2004... thanks for the goodies everyone !

Just a brief second-hand report on the free screening in SF Thursday night. My sister (whom I have recently introduced to the world of Firth) attended with a friend and absolutely loves the movie -- thinks it's gotta get an Oscar nom at least for cinematography. But she also found the audience to be a rather strange collection of folks -- no big shots or celebrity types, some CF fans, many very elderly women, and a large percentage being street people who apparently took advantage of seeing a free movie with eats afterward. I'll ask her to watch for any newspaper articles. (She recently sent me a full page from SF paper with huge picture of Vermeer's GWAPE at top, and it turned out to be feature story on a decorator who reproduced the painting full size for the master bathroom in a mansion. The noive of some people!)

P.S. The live chat transcript is posted now: http://chat.msn.com/msnlive_feature.msnw?id=artist/colinfirth

(Dorine)And I have to say, I'm not as fascinated with the necklace so much as the increasing frequency with which he's been wearing his shirts with the collar *much* more open. ;-P Yesss! Thans for posting the LA Times story, Dorine. "We talked about everything from his walk to how we would wear his hat, stand, hold paintbrushes," Webber said, "and then to how enigmatic did we want him, how mysterious? . . . "I think I kind of got myself tied into knots," he said. "There did come a point when I did stop looking at the pictures and just sort of came down from the clouds a bit and just did things that were practical. Interesting stuff. This is Colin's sandbox. I can't help but believe that he finds the dramatic roles and the research more fulfilling than comedy. LOL at the Elle article, Karen. This guy asked most of the things I wanted to at the chat.;-)

Saw GWAPE today at a screening at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Wonderful to see it in a quasi-museum setting, artsy crowd, some book club people. Everyone impressed. Sold out crowd; turning people away. This the day aft a big mid-west winter storm. More in Spoilers topic.

(Mari)I can't help but believe that he finds the dramatic roles and the research more fulfilling than comedy. Absolutely. I think I've found him more honest, open, and revealing a great deal more through the GWAPE publicity than he has ever done with the comedies. He really, I think, enjoyed the whole process. Dorine, fantastic article, thank you.

The GG's announcements will be on E! at 8 AM EST on the 18th. Hoping for a couple of familiar names there...

Leonard Maltin and Joyce Kulhawick of Hot Ticket will review GWAPE this week; check your local listings, comes on later tonight in my area. I hear it's well worth watching.;-)

So happy you made it to GWAPE, Evelyn!

Heres' the link to the Metacritic site, which I find is a much better barometer of critical opinion than rotten tomatoes. It's just the major critics, which means you don't have to suffer through reviews from some pimply faced 16 year old named Tyler who's working out of his parents' basement in Hackensack.;-) http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/girlwithapearlearring/ BTW, according to Coming Soon, TEOR will open on December 24, 2004. Which means we get to do this all over again same time next year!:-)

GWAPE premiere; thought his eyes looked great in this one:

(Mari) BTW, according to Coming Soon, TEOR will open on December 24, 2004. What an awesome birthday present!! I know now what to say if someone asks me where I want to go out for my birthday. :-D Thanks, Mari! You're right, that is a fantastic picture. Leonard Maltin and Joyce Kulhawick of Hot Ticket will review GWAPE this week; check your local listings, comes on later tonight in my area. I hear it's well worth watching.;-) You hear *they* are worth watching or they say the movie is worth watching? I can't stand her. He's tolerable most of the time to me.

(Mari) Heres' the link to the Metacritic site, which I find is a much better barometer of critical opinion than rotten tomatoes. Thanks for the link, Mari! You're right, it seems to be a much more discerning site (or maybe it's just the snob in me saying this, since I agree more with their evaluations -- not just of GWAPE). (Mari) It's just the major critics, which means you don't have to suffer through reviews from some pimply faced 16 year old named Tyler who's working out of his parents' basement in Hackensack.;-) LOL! How true. That *is* a fantastic picture! No wonder people keep raving about his smooth skin. And what a pair of fine eyes!! ;-) And so much exposed neck. Swoon... (But are those gray hairs or just the reflection of camera flashes from the paparazzi?!) (Dorine) I can't stand her. [Joyce Kulhawik] Me neither. She's on one of my local channels, and I just switch off when she gets on. Doesn't seem to have an original thought or any discerning taste -- most of the time it feels like she didn't see the same movie or play I did.

The Hot Ticket review of GWAPE verged on the ecstatic by both Leonard Maltin and Joyce Kulhawik. Among other hymns of praise, they called it "a great story...amazing story," "staggering," "an extraordinary achievement," "a really, really special film," and "most elegant film of the year." They called Scarlett's an Oscar-worthy performance, and Maltin described Colin as "wonderful here as Vermeer - he's usually wonderful; he's really great here." I don't know how many people watch this show (Roger Ebert is the biggie), but I hope they influence enough people to see GWAPE and appreciate it, too.

"GWAPE - Official Website" I'm not sure this has been posted already, but anyway, here is the link to the official website: http://www.girlwithapearlearringmovie.com/ Now playing in New York and Los Angeles Opens in Chicago and San Francisco - Dec. 26th In Theatres - January 2004 I'll "finally" be able to see it.....

Hi Katty..... I was able to watch Leonard Maltin and Joyce Kulhawik today on tv and it's exciting that "GWAPE" is getting so much positive praises....Leonard mentioned that Colin Firth is such a giftedly talented actor and both said nothing but praises for the film's acting, screenplay, cinematography, directing, etc....I think Leonard said, it's like stepping into a book/painting and being transported back to 17th century Holland....The film looks so real - the visual imagery are amazing.... Here's a link to GWAPE author, Tracy Chevalier website with her talking about her novel being transformed into the film: http://www.tchevalier.com/filmnews.html ~Momi~

Went to the benefit showing of LA in Sydney today - what a treat! They were serving free champagne (with strawberries), and free liqueur drinks (Tio Lusso, which is rather like a cross between Bailey's and Kahlua, only low-fat). VERY nice - had several of those (they were quite small! ;-)) and stood around chatting with several of the women on the National Trust. They wanted to know, since I wasn't with the National Trust, how I found out about the showing - told them I googled "LA" and "preview" and their website came up. Suggested that they might want to do a preview of GWAPE, too, as a fundraiser. ;-)) Fingers crossed...

Great picture, Mari! Methinks he has a better hair stylist in LA. ;-) Thanks, for the link. Dorine, thank you for the LA Times article.

Does anyone have the WSJ review? Takes a subscription. I wish Metacritic would have included the NYer...it was a good one. These are the folks who are going to see this film. The SJ fans will like her more in her contemporary roles. Period films are a hard sell to the "great unwashed". I asked the people around me at the screening where they had heard of the film. Most from BWTA and some from the Today Show, even that blurb. TV rules!

Evelyn, so glad you got to see the OC screening of GWAPE! And thanks, Dorine, for that fine and revealing article, and, Mari, for those fine and revealing eyes. (Colin on msnlive)We're looking into the light. When I first read this during the chat, I had to LOL because I thought immediately of you, Maria, and your explanation of your experience seeing CF on the red carpet in NYC. :-)

Thanks for the link to the chat, Deb. I had tuned into the chat after the first couple of questions which meant my view of it started in mid answer to the third question. I actually tried to post a question a lot like the first one. No wonder they didn't use it.

(Evelyn) Does anyone have the WSJ review? Takes a subscription. I have a subscription, but it won't let me log on for some reason. Tried to reregister and told me it already had my acct number and wouldn't let me go further. No time to type from print right now. Sorry. :-(

Can someone post if Ebert and Roeper reviewed GWAPE this week, for sure? My local news decided to override it with local news to tell me it's snowing outside....for 15 mins! Then, Sen. Schumer comes on for his weekly attempt at greater media exposure over the topic of the day. I don't know if E&R is shown on another channel at another time. :-(

(Katty) The Hot Ticket review of GWAPE verged on the ecstatic by both Leonard Maltin and Joyce Kulhawik. Joyce is forgiven. Usually she pans the films I like, and raves about the ones I detest. (Though I haven't seen GWAPE yet, from what everyone has been saying here I can't imagine NOT loving it!)

Dorine, E&R did not review GWAPE yet. (Moon),Great picture, Mari! Methinks he has a better hair stylist in LA. ;-) He has said that himself. I knew you'd approve, Moon.;-) Early box office estimates: $90,000 for GWAPE from 7 screens, average of close to $13,000 per screen. Love Actually is up to $53 million.

Dorine, E&R did not review GWAPE yet. (Moon),Great picture, Mari! Methinks he has a better hair stylist in LA. ;-) He has said that himself. I knew you'd approve, Moon.;-) Early box office estimates: $90,000 for GWAPE from 7 screens, average of close to $13,000 per screen. Love Actually is up to $53 million.

Grrr, closed I hope.

Dorine - Thanks for posting that LA Times article. Sweet to hear him apologetic about all his research and mental filing cabinet of Vermeer-facts . .nerdy, certainly not, Colin;) . . .I'd sit and listen to you wax poetic about Vermeer, if I could do the same about J.W.Waterhouse;) Mari - Nice pic and nice link to the Metacritics site . . and TEOR on 12/24/04??? I am so there . . .Dorine, perhaps you'll get a special b'day hello or something from Colin ;)

'Something's Gotta Give' rules box office By DAVID GERMAIN, Associated Press Last updated: 2:15 p.m., Sunday, December 14, 2003 LOS ANGELES -- Love among older adults conquered the box office as Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton's romance "Something's Gotta Give" debuted in the top spot with $17 million. The previous weekend's top film, "The Last Samurai," slipped to second place with $14.05 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Farrelly brothers' comedy "Stuck on You," starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear as conjoined twins, opened at No. 3 with $10 million. The teen romance "Love Don't Cost a Thing," featuring Nick Cannon, debuted in fourth place with $6.5 million. The overall box office slipped, with the top 12 movies grossing $83 million, down 8 percent from the same weekend a year ago. Ticket sales will surge this week with "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," the conclusion of Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic. The film opens Wednesday. "Return of the King" could surpass the $62 million opening weekend for last year's middle chapter, "The Two Towers," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. In limited release, a reissue of "Two Towers" took in $700,000 this past weekend, pushing the film's total gross to $340 million and priming the pump for "Return of the King." "This past weekend was the calm before the storm," Dergarabedian said. "Everybody's waiting for `Return of the King' and the onslaught of all the holiday movies coming after that." Opening Friday is Julia Roberts' "Mona Lisa Smile." Christmas week brings Nicole Kidman and Jude Law's Civil War epic "Cold Mountain," Steve Martin's comedy "Cheaper by the Dozen," Ben Affleck's sci-fi tale "Paycheck" and a live-action version of "Peter Pan." Distributor Sony hopes the well-reviewed "Something's Gotta Give" will linger in theaters through the holidays. Keaton stars as a 55-year-old playwright in a love triangle involving a 63-year-old womanizer (Nicholson) and a 30-something doctor (Keanu Reeves). "For the holidays, this is the perfect piece of entertainment, especially in a market that for the most part has had either children's films or darker-themed adult films out there," said Jeff Blake, Sony Pictures head of distribution. "This is funny, well-written, and we think works for all audiences." Though aimed at older adults, "Something's Gotta Give" scored well among younger crowds, with viewers under 30 accounting for a third of the audience, Blake said. It was Sony's ninth movie this year to debut as No. 1 for the weekend, breaking the old industry record of eight set three times in past years by Warner Bros., Blake said. Playing in 2,677 theaters, "Something's Gotta Give" averaged a solid $6,350 per showing, compared to a $3,330 average in 3,003 theaters for "Stuck on You" and $3,544 in 1,844 theaters for "Love Don't Cost a Thing." In limited release, Tim Burton's tall-tale adventure "Big Fish" debuted strongly, grossing $215,000 in six theaters for a $35,833 average. The father-son reunion story stars Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Jessica Lange and Billy Crudup. The 17th century drama "Girl With a Pearl Earring," starring Colin Firth as Dutch artist Vermeer and Scarlett Johansson as a servant who inspires him, also opened well. In seven theaters, the film took in $90,000 for a $12,857 average. "Big Fish" and "Girl With a Pearl Earring" expand to more theaters Christmas week.

You can LISTEN to Wall Street Journal's Joe Morgenstern review of GWAPE on KCRW's website: http://www.kcrw.com/show/fr Regarding Metacritic, it's a very interesting, informative site, but I question some of the number ratings it gives GWAPE. The bunch of "60" scores lump together positive (TV Guide), negative (Time and Salon), and in-between (WSJ and NYT)reviews. But I guess if you average them together, they come out even.

Thanks everyone for all the news, links, photos, and everything! I was just at the official gwape site: http://www.girlwithapearlearringmovie.com/# They have a link to a music video inspired by the movie. I was expecting classical music and romantic images. I was wrong :-D I know I'm not the hippest person alive but this is an interesting choice. Maybe it'll bring the younger folk in to see the movie? The singer has his own site: http://www.trumankind.com/ Big push for the award season: http://lionsgateawards.com/index_land.html

(Mari)thought his eyes looked great in this one Thought everything looked great in that one;-) *sigh* (Mari)Early box office estimates: $90,000 for GWAPE from 7 screens, average of close to $13,000 per screen Excellent early #'s. Looks like Universal dusted off the LA commercials. I saw a few over the weekend. Just a tid bit from the Chicago Sun Times: All I want for Xmas is a celebrity makeover: I blame celebrities. As the winter doldrums stifle our psyches, it seems like we've seen it all before, the same famous people doing the same things in the same places: Eating at the Ivy, wearing Ugg boots, studying Kabbalah, tongue-kissing Colin Firth. Often at the same time. Tongue kissing? Colin? At the Ivy, wearing Uggs, studying Kabbalah (ah the beads)When? Where? Who? LOL, that is a make over!;-)I want one too! http://www.suntimes.com/output/wiser/sho-sunday-paige14.html Thanks everyone.

Woops, must have been all that tongue kissing talk. closing bold

Don't know who's tongue kissing him, but it certainly isn't anybody onscreen.;-) NY Film Critics Online Awards (as opposed to the NY Film Critics) NYFCO FILM AWARDS FOR 2003 Picture...... Lost in Translation Director...... Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation) Actor...... Bill Murray (Lost in Translation) Actress ...... Charlize Theron (Monster) Support Actor...... Alex Baldwin (The Cooler) Support Actress ...... Scarlett Johanson (Lost in Translation) Screenplay ...... In America (Jim, Naomi & Kirsten Sheridan) Foreign Language ...... Demonlover Documentary ...... Winged Migration Cinematography ...... Girl with a Pearl Earring (Eduardo Serra) Animation ...... Finding Nemo Breakthrough performance ...... Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent)

Hello ladies, I will introduce myself at Topic 174 very soon, but wanted to post this now if anyone is interested in voting. CF is one of 10 finalists, the winner to be named London Personality of the Year 2003 this Tuesday. They are still taking votes as of right now. Madelyn

I'll try again.

Sorry. I have to learn. Here's the website's address anyway http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/showbiz/articles/7960572?source=Evening%20Standard They want emails to personality@thisislondon.co.uk with name of votee in subject line

(Lora)Colin on msnlive)We're looking into the light. When I first read this during the chat, I had to LOL because I thought immediately of you, Maria, and your explanation of your experience seeing CF on the red carpet in NYC. :-) That line really resonated with me! :-)) Really enjoying the types of articles and responses we are getting with GWAPE! COLIN FIRTH: TAKING THE LEAD Ruthe Stein Sunday, December 14, 2003 Toronto -- A new baby recently arrived in the Colin Firth household, consuming the stalwart British actor with dad duties like changing diapers. He and his wife, Italian producer Livia Giuggioli, have another son, who is 3, and Firth has a 13-year-old with actress Meg Tilly. When all three boys are around, his London home gets so noisy that it's hard for Firth to think, let alone concentrate on preparing for a new role. All this havoc helped him get a handle on 17th century Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, who had 11 children running around his cramped home in Delft and a wife who was a bit of a shrew. Vermeer nevertheless created some of the most remarkable paintings ever committed to canvas. His simple yet mystical images remain in the mind's eye long after viewing. Cast as Vermeer in the holiday movie "Girl With a Pearl Earring,'' Firth immediately knew he could never capture the great man's genius. "I couldn't touch that. You can't play genius,'' he said over coffee during the Toronto International Film Festival, where "Girl'' premiered. Firth, 43, has built a career on costume dramas -- most memorably as Mr. Darcy in the 1995 miniseries "Pride and Prejudice,'' a role that made him the hunk du jour of the "Masterpiece Theater" crowd. As is often said of him, Firth seems to belong in britches. He looked out of sync in jeans and casual sweater, like a time traveler trying to blend in. On the other hand, he's completely convincing in the robes of a marginally prosperous mid- 1600s painter. Firth found the "practical details'' of Vermeer's life a "useful accessible element'' in capturing him. "This was a man who painted seemingly serene pictures repeatedly, capturing the calm of the moment in a house that is incredibly chaotic,'' said Firth, who studied Vermeer's work in museums. "Everybody knows what it's like in a noisy house. Everybody knows what it is to need to work, to close yourself off in a room and have the sounds going on. Everybody knows what it is like to have a bit of a secret life, a secret passion or a dream. Looking from my own vantage point, I think one of the most interesting things is that kind of creative intensity within a very earthbound domestic environment.'' Firth wouldn't reveal much about his own secret life, except to say that "you can share these things with your partner.'' He's become guarded since his first brush with fame, when paparazzi followed him home after he had purchased a vacuum cleaner. A headline in the tabs screamed, "Mr. Darcy does the household chores.'' The notoriety intensified after Helen Fielding, in the midst of writing "Bridget Jones's Diary,'' named the romantic hero Mr. Darcy in the actor's honor. Firth was catapulted to a gentler English version of superstardom when he was cast as Darcy in the screen adaptation. He's reprising the role in a sequel. Firth is opinionated on the subject of Vermeer's secret life, which, the movie suggests, may have entailed a romantic liaison with his young housemaid, possibly the model for his sexually charged painting "Girl With a Pearl Earring.'' In her novel of the same name, Tracy Chevalier took fictional license in telling the story of Griet, a 16-year-old employed by the Vermeers to tend to the children and perform menial tasks for Mrs. Vermeer. Scarlett Johansson, fresh from enticing Bill Murray in "Lost in Translation,'' again plays muse to an older man in "Girl.'' As portrayed in the movie, Vermeer's relationship with Griet is loaded with sexual tension, but Firth is convinced it was never consummated. "I don't think he does womanize at all. I think he is utterly faithful to his wife. His mother-in-law covers up (the times she sees Griet and Vermeer together) because his wife is extremely jealous, and the mother-in-law knows there will be nothing but trouble.'' Still, the scene where Griet poses in his studio is awfully hot, especially when Vermeer smears red paint over her lips. According to the movie, this accounts for the girl's moist red-parted mouth, which leaps out from the canvas far more than her subtle earring. "The direction in that scene was eloquent,'' Firth recalled. "You see a brush going across her lips, then you see my thumb going across. There was no more contact (between them) than that.'' Firth came away impressed with Johannson, no more than a teenager herself. "She's quite committed to what she does. I think she's exceptional.'' Her resemblance to the model in the painting is remarkable. "Scarlett has a Scandinavian background, so she is not a million miles away. She is very fair skinned, and she bleached out her eyebrows. She wore no makeup, just white (coloring). She showed a lack of vanity.'' Because so much of the movie deals with her character, Firth didn't feel a need to do extensive research on methods of painting. "If the movie was all about Vermeer, we would have seen more of that. In the end, I wanted to look like I could hold a brush and put it on canvas. I've had a go at painting. It's not a regular hobby, but I know how to do it. The way Vermeer moved things around his desk was more interesting for me than watching his hand on the canvas.'' Although it's not obvious to the audience, it meant a lot to Firth that the tools in the studio were reproductions of what Vermeer would have used. The brushes were crudely made of horsehair and crooked wood, the paint composed of shellac and various odorous components. "One of the things the film actually can't really communicate, which is really striking, are the smells. Some of them would have smelled horrible. Vermeer would have had to make his own paint in the laboratory and get those colors right.'' On most movie sets, Firth has felt "an element of stress because you are carrying a lot of responsibility.'' It was acute on "Girl With a Pearl Earring, '' the first movie in which he has the undisputed male lead. By contrast, "Love Actually'' was a lark. A huge ensemble cast meant "I wasn't carrying anything. I was just having a holiday on a film.'' By odd coincidence, his character in that movie also has a relationship with a maid. Firth said that actually happened to Richard Curtis, "Love's'' writer and director. "He was in France writing, and he fell in love with a Portuguese cleaning lady.'' Unlike the movie, however, their romance did not have a happy ending. "Richard never even spoke to her.'' Firth laughed when told that there's an impression in the United States that he and the other prominent British actors in the movie are all pals. He said he doesn't hang out with Hugh Grant -- his co-star in the "Bridget Jones'' movies as well as "Love Actually'' -- or Alan Rickman or Emma Thompson or any of the others. "We're not one big happy family at all,'' he says. "But 'Love Actually' was a happy shoot.'' http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2003/12/14/PKG4U3JNFM1.DTL

International Playboy Bartenders Create Cocktails For Stars Of Love Actually http://www.fashion-uk.co.uk/fas_news.taf?_function=detail&_record=172353&_UserReference=E88B2E4C306A232FC36F4A70&_start=1

Still, the scene where Griet poses in his studio is awfully hot, especially when Vermeer smears red paint over her lips. According to the movie, this accounts for the girl's moist red-parted mouth, which leaps out from the canvas far more than her subtle earring. "The direction in that scene was eloquent,'' Firth recalled. "You see a brush going across her lips, then you see my thumb going across. There was no more contact (between them) than that.'' They cut something here?! A reshoot? You mean I have to go see it *again* to take a better look at the lips? ;-) She wore no makeup, just white (coloring). She showed a lack of vanity. Well, duh, that was in character. She wears quite a bit otherwise. Esp bright red lipstick often. On most movie sets, Firth has felt "an element of stress because you are carrying a lot of responsibility.'' It was acute on "Girl With a Pearl Earring, '' the first movie in which he has the undisputed male lead. Hasn't seen many of his movies, has she? Thanks, Maria!

Great article Maria! (Dorine)They cut something here?! A reshoot? You mean I have to go see it *again* to take a better look at the lips? ;-) I was going to say that too! . .when did I miss THAT scene???? If it was cut out of the theatrical release that we saw . .I hope it will be on the extra features on the DVD.

He looked out of sync in jeans and casual sweater I think he looks great in jeans.:)) Everybody knows what it is like to have a bit of a secret life, a secret passion or a dream. Looking from my own vantage point, I think one of the most interesting things is that kind of creative intensity within a very earthbound domestic environment.'' Ha! I do, and it's you..... the first movie in which he has the undisputed male lead Is this a quote of his or hers?

Would just like to thank you all for the articles. The last two from Dorine and Maria were really very interesting. Bee, you took my qoutes and replies right out of my mouth :-) Kindred spirits :-))

http://www.ent-today.com/movies/mo121203_gwape.htm Girl With a Pearl Earring reviewed by Brent Simon Set in Holland in 1665, Girl With a Pearl Earring details the relationship between master painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth) and Griet (Scarlett Johansson), a tilemaker�s daughter forced to take work as a second maid in his household when her father passes away. Fascinated by his use of color and light, Griet exhibits a native interest in and appreciation for Vermeer�s work that the rest of his family does not possess. Soon she becomes part of his work, their growing acquaintanceship spreading disruption and sowing jealousy throughout the house. Vermeer�and by extension Griet�both contend with cohabitating and intersecting forces that disapprove of their burgeoning non-relationship: Vermeer�s prone-to-histrionics wife Catharina (Essie Davis) and domineering mother-in-law/�agent� Maria Thins (Judy Parfitt), weasely benefactor Van Ruijven (In the Bedroom�s Tom Wilkinson) and young butcher boy Pieter (28 Days Later�s Cillian Murphy), Griet�s would-be paramour. Directed by Peter Webber, from a screenplay by Olivia Hetreed, Girl With a Pearl Earring is a movie of a certain sumptuous malaise (darkly lensed by Eduardo Serra, it exudes a beautiful gloominess). Yet even if you can appreciate its elaborate posing, there�s never a lavish emotionalism, characteristic of the best period piece heart-tuggers, which sweeps you along. A fine actress, Johansson makes us feel for Griet and her predicament, but neither the script nor her performance tell us anything lasting about her character�s inner makeup. Instead, we get a couple dozen slack-jawed curtsies and gasps � wan, signifying markers of costume drama emotion. Firth, on the other hand, truly exemplifies the dictum that less is often more; something dark lies behind his stormy brown eyes, and his Vermeer is a tantalizing character, someone about whom we want to know more. The crucial, defining difference in movies of this sort�movies of scope and ambition but limited means�boils down to the fine line between small and intimate. Can the filmmakers successfully convey a grander emotional and psychological palette without the full resources of a big Hollywood production? If a script is hitting on all cylinders, yes, certainly. But Girl With a Pearl Earring is a movie of small charms � a chamber drama unprepared for the limelight. (Lions Gate/Path�, PG-13) ***************************************************** http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20031212/en_usatoday/thispearlisofgreatvalue This 'Pearl' is of great value (USA Today -Fri Dec 12, 6:20 AM ET) It's a measure of the mesmerizing power of Girl With a Pearl Earring and the flawless performances of Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson that audiences feel as if they are spying on a moment of artistic inspiration when painter Vermeer creates the title work. The cinematic adaptation of Tracy Chevalier's novel attempts to unravel the mystery behind one of Vermeer's best-known paintings. Chevalier's fictional account of a 17-year-old servant girl who served as the artist's model is the scaffolding upon which a much more nuanced, sensuous tale is built. Because of the film's meticulous attention to detail - and because cinematographer Eduardo Serra perfectly captures the rich light, shadow and colors of the Dutch master's world - we are transported seemingly effortlessly to 17th-century Holland. Johansson plays Griet, a farm girl with an intuitive appreciation of art who becomes a servant for Vermeer's family. Firth plays the artist, about whom little is known historically, with a blend of smoldering intensity and quiet understatement. He is meant to be enigmatic, as is Griet in some ways. Yet we feel their growing attraction as she works in his studio; it reaches a climax when he pierces her ear with the earring that he asks her to wear for the portrait. It's a strangely compelling and sexy scene in a movie that is fraught with palpable, but unexpressed, passion. In contrast to their suppressed lust, Tom Wilkinson plays a wealthy patron whose leering lasciviousness becomes a real threat to Griet. Also threatening to Griet is Vermeer's jealous wife (Essie Davis) and conniving mother-in-law (Judy Parfitt), both of whom leave lasting impressions with small roles. Fans of the book will note that the ending is different, but most should pleased with the majestic visual rendering of the story and the brilliant casting. Johansson, so perfect in Lost in Translation, is having a banner year that Oscar voters should recognize. Firth's quietly contained but emotionally tortured performance should erase any lingering memories of his lackluster part in Love Actually and put us more in mind of his complex charms from Pride and Prejudice. Girl with a Pearl Earring is a rich gem expertly told in a surprisingly scant 95 minutes. The film's deliberate pacing beautifully complements the nuances of a story about the complexity of creativity and the part it plays as a powerful outlet for repressed emotions.

Firth's quietly contained but emotionally tortured performance should erase any lingering memories of his lackluster part in Love Actually and put us more in mind of his complex charms from Pride and Prejudice YIPPEE!!! Need to see more of those "complex charms"! But Girl With a Pearl Earring is a movie of small charms � a chamber drama unprepared for the limelight. UH OH. That doesn't sound good. Wonder what terrible things will befall a drama "unprepared for the limelight"???

I don't remember seeing this ...From a Sept. article about Esther Freud - She then wrote her fourth novel, The Wild, and set up a film company with David, "largely as a way of ensuring we spent more time together". She is currently working on a film script of The Wild and they are trying to raise money to make it. Colin Firth and John Malkovich have both expressed a keen interest in being in it and David will direct. http://www.thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk/brighton__hove/leisure/interview/artists_writers/esther_freud.html

Interesting, Maria - Perhaps this is one of the roles Hola Lola was hinting at? Ah she also wrote - Hideous Kinky - that was made into a film w/ Kate Winslet - Anyone see it? Here's a bit about Wild from: http://www.impacdublinaward.ie/2002/titles/Freud.htm ABOUT THE BOOK It is the '70s. In an old bakery converted into a home, two single-parent families have come together under one roof. For nine-year-old Tess it is a new start and she sees in William, the tall, blond guitar-playing father of three, both the father she craves and a lover for her mother, Francine. Her brother Jake, however, feels nothing for William but contempt. When Francine becomes involved with William, Tess, eager to share in their love, tries to please the adults as well as win Jake round. But Tess soon finds that good intentions don't always bring happiness and that adults are sometimes capable of making mistakes. I take it he'd be William . .bringing out his guitar again? . .they might think of Ewan McGregor for this role too . . . (thinking of his guitar playing in Nora)

Sorry about double post: A little more on The Wild - w/ an excerpt . . . http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/packages/uk/readers/bookshelf/freud.html

(Kimberly) I take it he'd be William. .bringing out his guitar again? Or maybe he would be Jake, the 12 year old brother, and they could have the make-up crew from WAGW that worked such magic in making him look 20 years old really show us what they've got! ;-)

Long interview with Webber, Colin, and Scarlett: http://www.phase9.tv/moviefeatures/girlwithapearlearringfeature1.htm

Yes, I saw Hideous Kinky not too long ago -- but that's too off-topic to discuss here, I'm sure. (But I was outraged that KW's character dragged her children through so much while trying to "find" herself.)

(Deb)But I was outraged that KW's character dragged her children through so much while trying to "find" herself.) Yes, it was an okay film, and based on Esther's real life. Her parents were a couple of pills, alright, and the poor kids just wanted to be "normal." Am sure that this was *not* one that Lola mentioned; remember, she said we'd be pleased.;-) This one, they don't even have the money to make it, and even if they do scrape the financing together, it may not ever see the light of day. No ready-made distribution deal = waste of time, IMO.

(Mari)This one, they don't even have the money to make it, and even if they do scrape the financing together, it may not ever see the light of day. No ready-made distribution deal = waste of time, IMO. Another one for my now -groaning night table...:-((( Uh, uh.

Mari - Wonderful article! I think I liked the best, Colin's view on dialoge in film: Firth adds �I think dialogue is very limiting, particularly if it is anything other than excellent. Mediocre dialogue is utterly crippling to the process and brilliant dialogue is a free ride, but no dialogue is a very liberating and inspiring thing to do as long as you�ve got the confidence, and you�ve got a director who�s going to go with what you do. There�s nothing more dispiriting than having a whole lot of ideas about what your tacit performance is going to be if no one�s on the other end of it with the camera. I�ve got this complex view of this woman and I�m going to have to do it all with my eyes. Unless it�s being photographed, unless somebody�s playing the game, it�s entirely mutually dependent, entirely symbiotic. So we wouldn�t have been able to do any of it if we hadn�t known that was the convention that we were working in. And there were times when there were two words being said and the camera was going to be here for a very long time. You were going to have to fill that, and so it gave us all a kind of added sense of responsibility. Somebody said earlier today that they seemed to imply from that that it had reduced the role somehow of the scriptwriter, that less dialogue meant less responsibility by the scriptwriter. In fact it�s almost the contrary. Something [Peter Webber] said when we were in Toronto was the confidence and the skill to be able to use silence in your writing is unusual and requires great maturity. �It�s called cinema!� cuts in Webber. I also read the phase9 review . .This gave me a chuckle: One of the highly anticipated films of the year because it stars the lush Colin Firth (oh, all right, and because it�s adapted from the hugely popular novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier) GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING will not disappoint the many fans of the original novel. That and his "Iron Maiden" wig . .hmm . .is that a better description than Fabio, I wonder . . .

Or...Colin will get this underfinanced no distribution deal job while JM gets a part in "Le Sauvage", a darker version of The Wild,about two single-parent families that have come together under one roof in an old boulangerie converted into a maison which will, of course be a blockbuster as it is released several months prior to The Wild....

LOL, Maria. Maybe it will all balance out when ODB takes the lead in Being Colin Firth. ;-)

LMAO Maria and Mari! Thank you!!! And thanks for all the links Kimberly!

BBC Home Vid in DVD push for Film Line By Brett Sporich BBC Home Video has begun producing double-disc DVDs of its BBC Film Line for distribution in the United States and Canada beginning with four releases next year. While BBC Video and its American distributor, Warner Home Video, have successfully marketed such BBC television fare as "Absolutely Fabulous" and most recently "The Office" on DVD in North America, this is the BBC's first foray into the distribution of the BBC Film Line's product acquired from independent producers throughout the United Kingdom to be marketed to American consumers, BBC Home Video and Direct vp Burton Cromer said. The first double-disc release will be director James Ivory's 1986 Academy Award-winning "A Room With a View" on April 6, carrying a suggested retail price of $26.99. "Another Country" is slated to be the second double-disc DVD release Sept. 7 and will carry a suggested retail price of $19.98. "There is so much crossover talent with whom Americans and Canadians are familiar � such as Ridley Scott, who started out with the 1963 BBC TV series 'Doctor Who,' and Colin Firth in the 1995 miniseries 'Pride and Prejudice' � that it just seemed a logical extension for us to expand beyond television to film," Cromer said. [...] The bonus disc for "Another Country" will include interviews with cast members Rupert Everett and Firth at the 1984 Festival de Cannes; "Newsnight: Another Country � Discussion" on the original play, starring Everett, Julian Mitchell and Kenneth Branagh; and an audio commentary with director Marek Kanievska.

Karen - Fabulous news . .another film to add to my ever growing wish list;)!

(Karen-BBC)Another Country" is slated to be the second double-disc DVD release Sept. 7 This is great news indeed :-) Thank you all, once again for the articles and reviews.

Also, here is the WSJ's review: Wall Street Journal Friday, December 12, 2003 Review/Film by Joe Morgenstern 'Girl With a Pearl Earring' Peter Webber's debut feature, "Girl With a Pearl Earring" is eye caviar that doesn't pretend to be much else. Exquisitely visualized (with cinematography by Eduardo Serra), deliberately underdramatized and snorefully paced, this film version of a bestselling literary fiction stars Scarlett Johansson as Griet, a comely young housemaid who, in 17th Century Delft, becomes the model for one of Vermeer's best-loved paintings. The story, as adapted from the novel by Tracy Chevalier, puts Griet at the center of domestic intrigue. Vermeer's materialistic mother-in-law, impatient with the pace of his work, urges him to do a portrait of Griet in the belief that his lecherous patron will buy it, then offends her own daughter - Vermeer's wife Catharina - by secretly lending the girl Catharina's pearl earring. Although Colin Firth plays the painter with suppressed passion, the main fun is watching Tom Wilkinson's quick-eyed wickedness as the patron, Pieter van Ruijven. Yet there's pleasure to be had from Ms. Johansson's thoughtful portrait of a portrait model, and from the way Eduardo Serra has matched the lighting of the film with the creamy light that suffuses the painter's canvasses. During his lifetime the Dutch master made only about 45 paintings, but Mr. Serra outdoes him. No matter where he points his camera there's another Vermeer.

If this is a repeat, I apologize. But - in case you haven't seen it here's the chance to watch the camera obscura-scene along with a review of the movie. (I'm getting more and more depressed about this movie not getting a theatrical release here, but am happy for all the droolers, who has or gets to see it). http://www.tvguide.com/movies/database/ShowMovie.asp?MI=45031

Thanks for that Phase9 interview Mari! Sounds like they really bonded there on the set... And thanks Karen for the great news about the AC DVD! Definitely one of my favorites. Can't wait to see the 1984 ODB Cannes interview!

Karen -- thanks for the DVD news and WSJ review (and nice to have you back!) ;-) Am keeping my fingers crossed that "A Month in the Country" will be next.

(Zing)Am keeping my fingers crossed that "A Month in the Country" will be next. I'm a goober, got prematurely excited with thought that it was AMITC we were talking about.. Oh well, still looking forward to the interview at Cannes...

(MariaT) I'm a goober... LOL, Maria! Is that another title you have, along with "Google-ier"?! ;-)

(WSJ)"During his lifetime the Dutch master made only about 45 paintings, but Mr. Serra outdoes him. No matter where he points his camera there's another Vermeer." Thanks Boss. Have to agree. I am not a fan of the Dutch School of Painting. Mr Serra does Vermeer proud; and PW outdoes Tracy C.

Great articles Maria and Maria. Karen, great DVD news. I wonder if at some time they will include T-down that was BBC, wasn't it? I know it's made for TV but they're doing things like The Office, too. (Maria)Oh well, still looking forward to the interview at Cannes... Me too, I wonder if he's got that fluffy AC hair in the interview?

(Lindak)Great articles Maria and Maria. Mari, I think you need to buy a vowel ..;-)

Nothing will likely come of this, but I don't mind seeing Colin lumped in with Penn, Kingsley, Duvall, Crowe, Depp, and Macy!:-) Epics, history and lots of horses highlight Oscar season By David Germain Associated Press Movie Writer December 15, 2003 The Academy Awards are shaping up as a literal horse race. Sweeping spectacle and historical pageantry -- featuring tons of horse flesh -- could dominate the ceremony Feb. 29. Everyone from jockeys and Hobbits to samurai and Civil War combatants are saddled up for a run at Oscar gold. Among the top contenders: the fantasy epic "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," the Civil War saga "Cold Mountain," the racehorse drama "Seabiscuit" and the 19th century warrior tales "The Last Samurai" and "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." More intimate contemporary dramas produced many of the year's finest performances, including "Mystic River, "21 Grams," "In America," "Lost in Translation" and "House of Sand and Fog." Oscar nominations come out Jan. 27. The rundown of possible contenders in major categories: Best Picture: The top prize should come down to Frodo in Middle-earth vs. Odysseus in the Confederacy. Peter Jackson has scored back-to-back best-picture nominations with his J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation, and "Return of the King" is certain to make it three straight. The final chapter follows Hobbit Frodo Baggins' desperate attempt to destroy a ring of ultimate evil. But will Oscar voters crown a fantasy flick as the year's best? Such fanciful tales rarely are taken seriously enough to get nominated, and no fantasy film has ever won. Still, there's never been anything like "The Lord of the Rings," one of the most lavish spectacles in cinema history, whose three parts were shot simultaneously and rushed into theaters just a year apart. Academy members might lean toward "Return of the King" for best picture as a collective prize for the entire trilogy. Traditional Oscar wisdom should make Anthony Minghella's "Cold Mountain" the front-runner, though. Adapted from Charles Frazier's Civil War best seller, "Cold Mountain" is a reimagining of Homer's "The Odyssey" as a wounded Confederate deserter (Jude Law) wends his way home to his sweetheart (Nicole Kidman). "Cold Mountain" has the weighty drama, tragic romance and historical sweep that often clicks with Oscar voters. And it has something to offer every branch of the academy: A tremendous ensemble cast, passionate dialogue, lovely music, artful editing and cinematography, sumptuous sets and costumes. Since Minghella already has a best-director Oscar for "The English Patient," which also took the best-picture honor, academy voters might split their ballots. "Cold Mountain" could come away as best picture, with Jackson taking directing honors for his monumental "Lord of the Rings" achievement. Two other epics could creep into the best-picture mix, Peter Weir's Napoleonic-era naval tale "Master and Commander" and Edward Zwick's "The Last Samurai," an East-West culture clash set in 19th century Japan. Among more contemporary films, the strongest contender looks to be Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River," a somber drama of murder, remorse and suspicion centering on three reunited childhood friends. "Mystic River" is Eastwood's finest work since "Unforgiven" earned him best-picture and director Oscars. Other possibilities: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "21 Grams," a stark rumination on mortality, grief and vengeance; Gary Ross' buoyant "Seabiscuit," the story of the Depression-era racehorse that captivated the nation; Tim Burton's "Big Fish," a fanciful reunion story between a grandiloquent father and his down-to-earth son; "In America," Jim Sheridan's semi-autobiographical story about an Irish family in New York City; and Nancy Meyers' "Something's Gotta Give," a romantic comedy about a woman in her 50s wooed by a 60-something and a 30-something man. A handful of other acclaimed smaller films -- "Lost in Translation," "House of Sand and Fog," "The Station Agent," "American Splendor" and "Girl With a Pearl Earring" --probably will not have the clout to compete for best picture but could score nominations in acting, writing and technical categories. Best Director: As with best picture, this looks to be a two-man race between Anthony Minghella for "Cold Mountain" and Peter Jackson for "The Return of the King." Clint Eastwood can figure on a nomination for "Mystic River." Other possibilities: Peter Weir, "Master and Commander"; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "21 Grams"; Tim Burton, "Big Fish"; Jim Sheridan, "In America"; Gary Ross, "Seabiscuit"; and Edward Zwick, "The Last Samurai." Women historically fare poorly, with only two female directors ever earning nominations. Still, Sofia Coppola for "Lost in Translation" and Nancy Meyers for "Something's Gotta Give" might have longshot prospects. Best Actor: Sean Penn has two great performances in the running, a plus and minus for his prospects. Penn plays a reformed hoodlum out for revenge over his daughter's death in "Mystic River" and a dying man who gets a second chance with a heart transplant in "21 Grams." The two roles could split Penn's support and leave him short of votes for a nomination on either film. But if he manages a nomination for one or the other (Oscar rules allow actors to be nominated only once in the same category), Penn could become the front-runner to win on the strength of both performances. Other possibilities: Jude Law, "Cold Mountain"; Bill Murray, "Lost in Translation"; Russell Crowe, "Master and Commander"; Ben Kingsley, "House of Sand and Fog"; Jack Nicholson, "Something's Gotta Give"; Tom Cruise, "The Last Samurai"; Tommy Lee Jones, "The Missing"; Michael Caine, "The Statement"; Jeff Bridges and Tobey Maguire, "Seabiscuit"; Ewan McGregor, "Big Fish"; Johnny Depp, "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"; Colin Firth, "Girl With a Pearl Earring"; William H. Macy, "The Cooler"; and Robert Duvall, "Open Range." Last winter's top prize winners from the Sundance Film Festival produced two of the year's finest male performances: Peter Dinklage as a train-obsessed dwarf in "The Station Agent" and Paul Giamatti as gloomy comic writer Harvey Pekar in "American Splendor." But with such a strong lineup of bigger names in bigger films, it's questionable whether Dinklage or Giamatti could grab enough votes for nominations. Best Actress: Grim, grimmer, grimmest sums things up for three potential nominees, Jennifer Connelly, Naomi Watts and Charlize Theron. Connelly, a supporting-actress winner for "A Beautiful Mind," delivers a fierce performance in the bleak "House of Sand and Fog" as a woman battling to regain a home lost in a tax foreclosure. Watts is a bundle of fury and sorrow in "21 Grams," playing a woman who moves from grieving to vengeful over the deaths of her husband and children. Theron is absolutely ferocious in "Monster," playing serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a hitchhiking prostitute executed last year in Florida. For the unflinching role, Theron obliterated her cover-girl beauty, packing on 25 to 30 pounds and disguising herself behind dark contact lenses, fake teeth and a splotched complexion. Watts' pal Nicole Kidman, last year's winner for "The Hours," is a strong contender for her third-straight best-actress nomination with "Cold Mountain," playing a china-doll Southern belle who learns self-reliance amid the Confederacy's collapse. Other possibilities: Diane Keaton, "Something's Gotta Give"; Cate Blanchett, "The Missing" or "Veronica Guerin"; Julia Roberts, "Mona Lisa Smile"; Samantha Morton, "In America"; Scarlett Johansson, "Girl With a Pearl Earring"; Helen Mirren, "Calendar Girls"; Patricia Clarkson, "The Station Agent"; Diane Lane, "Under the Tuscan Sun"; Meg Ryan, "In the Cut"; and Gwyneth Paltrow, "Sylvia." Supporting Actor: Two lost souls might lead the way. Tim Robbins gives a career performance as a man emotionally shackled by childhood trauma in "Mystic River." Benicio Del Toro, a supporting-actor winner for "Traffic," adds another tremendous role in "21 Grams," playing an ex-con whose stab at going straight collapses in tragedy. Other possibilities: Last year's winner, Chris Cooper, for "Seabiscuit"; Albert Finney, "Big Fish"; Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen and Sean Astin, "Return of the King"; Ken Watanabe, "The Last Samurai"; Kevin Bacon, "Mystic River"; Djimon Hounsou, "In America"; Paul Bettany, "Master and Commander"; Alec Baldwin, "The Cooler"; Bill Nighy, "Love Actually"; and Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Cold Mountain." Supporting Actress: Like her co-star Kidman, Renee Zellweger of "Cold Mountain" stands to earn her third-straight Oscar nomination. This could be her year to win, playing a salt-of-the-earth handy-woman with great heart and humor. There also are possibilities for some child actors, who historically have had their best Oscar prospects in the supporting-actress category. In the running could be Keisha Castle-Hughes for "Whale Rider" and Sarah Bolger for "In America." Other possibilities: Marcia Gay Harden and Laura Linney, "Mystic River"; Melissa Leo, "21 Grams"; Scarlett Johansson, "Lost in Translation"; Shohreh Aghdashloo, "House of Sand and Fog"; Emma Thompson, "Love Actually"; Miranda Otto, "Return of the King"; Julie Walters, "Calendar Girls"; Patricia Clarkson, "Pieces of April"; Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Mona Lisa Smile"; Hope Davis, "American Splendor"; Holly Hunter, "Thirteen"; Christina Ricci, "Monster"; and Marie-Jose Croze, "The Barbarian Invasions." Copyright � 2003, The Associated Press

Coppola Receives Film, Director Awards By The Associated Press NEW YORK - Sofia Coppola (news)'s "Lost in Translation" wasn't lost on the New York Film Critics Online, which named it the top film of the year. Coppola also won the group's award for best director, and stars Bill Murray (news) and Scarlett Johansson (news) were named best actor and best supporting actress. Murray and Johansson play a pair of jetlagged Americans who wander bleary-eyed through a Tokyo hotel and form an unlikely friendship. The online critics group, which voted Sunday on the top films of 2003, chose Charlize Theron (news) as best actress for her portrayal of a serial killer in "Monster." Alec Baldwin (news) won the supporting-actor honor for "The Cooler," in which he plays a sleazy casino owner. The group's top 10 films of 2003 in order are: "Lost in Translation," "American Splendor," "In America," "21 Grams," "A Mighty Wind," "cold Mountain," "Girl With a Pearl Earring," "Lawless Heart," "The Barbarian Invasions" and "The Station Agent." The New York Film Critics Online is made up of 23 reviewers whose work appears exclusively online or who work in print and broadcast but have a strong Internet presence.

(Mari)Nothing will likely come of this, Maybe not, but seeing his name, there, gives me the chills. At leaset his name is getting out, finally! From Hollywood.com (they're a picture of the ear piercig that you can click, too Girl With a Pearl Earring Stacie Hougland Who knew there was so much melodrama behind a 17th-century Dutch master's portrait of a bejewled young blonde? Clearly, some thought, enough to make a movie of a book about it; mainstream audiences, however, may not see it the same way. Story In this Britney-and-Beyonce-obsessed age, 'tis a wonder anyone other than an art history buff knows who Rembrandt is, let alone that other Dutch painter guy--what'shisname, Vermeer. In fact, very little is known about the 17th-century painter, who died in debt at 43 and left most of his works, including his most famous of a young girl wearing a pearl earring, shrouded in mystery. Girl With a Pearl Earring is director Peter Webber's adaptation of the 1999 Tracy Chevalier novel that spun a gauzy fiction about the painter's unrequited obsession with a young maid who became his muse, and the subject of said painting. The maid in question is Griet (Scarlett Johansson), whose tilemaker father's accident forces their family into poverty and her into servitude--and it's no picnic. Morose, henpecked Vermeer (Colin Firth) hides in his studio away from the household, which includes the puffy and pampered wife (Essie Davis) he keeps eternally pregnant; her tyrannical, domineering mother (Judy Parfitt), who brazenly sol cits work for Vermeer from patrons like rich lecher Van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson); and a multitude of Vermeer brats. Full-lipped and nubile, the servant Griet becomes the artist's secret obsession--he spies on her cleaning his studio, teaches her about painting (or, at least, how to make his paints) and seduces her while painting her portrait behind his wife's back. Acting With little dialogue to speak, Johansson's Griet is a study in silence. Her wide-eyed, earnest stares and Mona Lisa smile do the talking for her, proving a picture certainly can say a thousand words. She may get more attention for Lost in Translation, but this is her vehicle. Johansson's quiet, understated performance makes the others look that much more overstated--Wilkinson's vulgar, mustache twirling art patron, for example, and Davis's jealous and ranting Catharina Vermeer for another, although they too are very solid turns. Firth's Vermeer fades into the background surrounded by these big personalities, understandably and fittingly so; he's the brooding artist who'd be far happier left alone to gaze upon his subject. Although the master and the servant never do much more than exchange looks, the sensual energy between them is palpable. Direction This movie is beautiful, absolutely stunning--it's as if cinematographer Eduardo Serra saw Vermeer's life through the artist's eyes, and that vision comes through in exquisitely framed and lit shots. Some scenes--of young lovers walking along a tree-lined canal in fall, light beaming across the girl's face as she cleans the studio's beveled windows--are literally breathtaking. Just as an artist's work is tactile, so does this film feel--in the sounds of a heavy knife chopping vegetables and a spatula grinding pigment into paste�volumes are spoken in the clean, white crispness of Griet's bonnet. First-time helmer Webber occasionally allows the camera to hang too long (a lip-licking scene in extreme close-up, for example), but he creates a fully enveloping period and confidently leads his cast through this fairly thin story. You can pretty much guess what you're in for with a movie about a 17th-century Dutch master; knowing that, if there's any criticism to be made it's that the pic feels every bit of its 95 inutes long. A lovely score by Alexandre Desplat also deserves a mention, although it sometimes overwhelms scenes with unwarranted portentousness. Bottom Line With superb performances marking a contrived story about a 17th-century Dutch artist and his muse, this film is not just for art lovers, it's for anyone who appreciates gorgeous filmmaking. http://www.hollywood.com/movies/reviews/movie/1736373