Alakina Mann, Anna Popplewell, Cillian Murphy

A speculative account of the life of Griet, a 16-year-old girl who appears in Johannes Vermeer's painting of the same title. Set in 17th century Holland, Griet is employed by Vermeer as a housemaid to...( read more  read more... ) care for his six children, his jealous pregnant wife and his uncommunicative mother-in-law. Tensions arise when Vermeer's wife suspects intimacy between her husband and the girl--and then climax, when the wife discovers that Griet borrowed her precious pearl earrings to sit for the now famous portrait.

Flixster Users

68% liked it

52,872 ratings

Critics

72% liked it

170 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Peter Webber

Release Date: December 12, 2003

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DVD Release Date: May 4, 2004

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Stats: 2,955 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,955)


  • October 28, 2009
    From what I remember, it was just ok. I think I was expecting more from it.
  • October 2, 2009
    The story behind the masterpiece! Not much of a story though eh! Apart from the beautiful cinematography, with frames that almost look like paintings and the wonderful set design, there isn't much to it! It?s all looks and no content! The acting is wooden to say the least and the...( read more)re are far too many 'Period Drama' clichés for me to give this a better rating.
  • November 6, 2008
    Pretty decent; I think the best part about it is that it reminds us everything and everyone has a story. We don't know for sure who the girl in the famous painting is, but the idea that we only know one moment of her complex life is compelling to me.
  • March 30, 2008
    this was a really good film with star power and solid performances until the final 15 minutes where the film completely fell apart. until the end, the story was intriguing and innovative and i was really curious as to how the film would end. when the film wound down to its fina...( read more)l scenes there was drama over simple issues made to be bigger than they should have been and scenes filled with symbolism that fell flat. overall it was a good movie with a dissapointing conclusion.
  • November 19, 2007
    Not a bad movie. Scarlett Johansson really didn't do much more than grunt and look suprised at everything in the world that happened as if she were retarded. But, it was still pretty good. Vermeer was a pimp.
  • October 23, 2009
    The famous painter's biography comes alive in this movie
    read the book
  • October 22, 2009
    a young woman (Johansson) living in the Netherlands in the 1660s is sent to work as a maid in the home of the painter Johannes Vermeer (Firth) and finds herself the subject of Vermeer's infamous painting. based on the novel by Tracy Chevalier.

    slow in parts, but an interesting s...( read more)tory nevertheless. pretty good.

    ** review to be continued **
  • October 20, 2009
    Girl with The Pearl Earring will always have my respect because its old school filmmaking...what was strange though was the way we had a very Hollywood over the top musical score that for me was very intrusive for the first third of the film, and then it seemed to go away...very ...( read more)strange. But the problem with it for me was that there didn?t seem to be much content here...it starts to get interesting, and then it finishes!...this was really on the edge of being great...but not quite there...but I still liked it. You got a sence of how the times back then were quite scary.
  • October 19, 2009
    I really enjoyed this movie. Loved it to bits. Usually movies like this bore me, but this one was way different.
    Everybody looked so different in this movie. It took me awhile to recognize a few of the actors while watching this.

    I LOVE Cillian Murphy and he had a small role ...( read more)in the film, but to me it was like he just 'randomly' came into the plot. It kind of felt like the film makers just needed a pretty face for all the girls to drool over while watching, but I didn't feel 'ripped-off' about it. I liked the chemistry between him and Scarlett Johansson's character. They had that 'Romeo and Juliet' kind of love.

    One of the best movies I've ever seen. See-it!
  • October 14, 2009
    I really like this film

    Una historia que encierra el retrato de un cuadro famoso llamado "la joven con el arete de perla" sin duda la pelicula hace honor al cuadro pues cada imagen que se presenta en este film es una pintura en movimiento y la historia un un drama como pocos h...( read more)e visto

Critic Reviews


January 22, 2004
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

A virtual ricochet-fest of eyeball action. Those looks, those glares, those gapes, those gawks! full review

January 9, 2004
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

First-time director Peter Webber and cinematographer Eduardo Serra nearly make up for the biopic blather by lighting the film so exquisitely that each frame looks like a Vermeer. full review

January 9, 2004
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Both lovely to look at and intriguing to hold in the mind. full review

January 9, 2004
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Dancing on the edge of dullness, Girl is continually saved by the look of things. full review

December 26, 2003
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

I can think of many ways the film could have gone wrong, but it goes right, because it doesn't cook up melodrama and romantic intrigue but tells a story that's content with its simplicity. full review

December 12, 2003
Claudia Puig, USA Today

A rich gem expertly told in a surprisingly scant 95 minutes. full review

View more Girl With a Pearl Earring reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • GymNetic25
    March 7, 2008
    I enjoyed this period piece of a film. It captured the true essence of artists and there subjects. I knew of the famous painting but I did not know the story behind it. I only wish they became lovers. A brilliant cast for this film and as an art lover myself a must see.

    3 stars
  • lifeskills13
    April 28, 2007
    I saw this movie more then once, breathtakin. Scarlett plays this girl wonderfuly. I would say this movie is a rare taste, but if anyone likes a bit of romance, art, and1600's style you would like this movie. It has gotten me to want to read the book ( which is a known fact that books are better then their movies)

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Girl With a Pearl Earring Trivia


  • Which young actress played Vermeer's muse in Girl with a pearl earring?  Answer »
  • Which Actor Was: -Mr. Brown In Nanny McPhee -Mark Darcy In Bridget Jones' Diary -Jamie Bennett In Love Actually -Johannes Vermeer In Girl With A Pearl Earring -Henry Dashwood In What A Girl Wants  Answer »
  • The 2003 film 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' was originally a novel by which author?  Answer »
  • Colin Firth Scarlett Johansson Tom Wilkinson Cillian MurphyJoanna Scanlan  Answer »

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