I read this book a few years ago, and loved it. They did a great job, IMO, with the film adaptation. It was very pretty (see the review by Steve Young; I agree entirely with his comments), and recreated the feel of the book – and of the time period – admirably. Plus, Colin Firth with long hair? sigh

Girl with a Pearl Earring is not a very fast movie. Instead, it is a very fast painting.

The plot is subtle and at first glance doesn’t seem to be there. The scenes are beautifully laid out, a perfect balance of shadow and dark. The music is understated but very effective and evocative.

In the end, the movie achieves the cinematographic exegesis of the works of Vermeer: it is hauntingly beautiful and will stay with the viewer for a long time.

I confess, I expected this movie to be pretty bad and the only reason I watched it was because of Colin Firth. I was pleasantly surprised. The neatest thing about this movie though was the visual style – it actually looked like a Vermeer painting (and not just the shots that actually were based on his painting). I really enjoyed that aspect of the whole thing.