We've seen films about different characters finding love, redemption and reinvention through hard knocks and tragedy, i.e. "Boy Hood", "Brooklyn", "Shawshank Redemption", "Driving Miss Daisy", "Almost Famous" and the like. The list is endless. We love an underdog and want them to make good. Well, with "The Goldfinch", we see a similar pattern and while wincing for this character, we only hope he gets through this mess in his life.
"The Goldfinch" is the film adaptation of Donna Tartt's globally acclaimed bestseller of the same name, which won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Theodore 'Theo' Decker (Oakes Fegley) was 13 years old when his mother was killed in a terrorist bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The tragedy changes the course of his life, sending him on a stirring odyssey of grief and guilt, reinvention and redemption and even love. Through it all, Theo now an adult (Ansel Elgort) holds on to one tangible piece of hope from that terrible day...a painting of a tiny bird chained to its perch otherwise known as The Goldfinch. With help of his 'adopted family', Mrs. Barbour (Nicole Kidman), adult Kitsey Barbour (Willa Fitzgerald), friend, adult Boris (Aneurin Barnard), and associate Hobie (Jeffrey Wright), he attempts to transcend above the horrific bombing he survived and all the emotional upheaval that comes with it.
Others to round out the cast are Luke Wilson as Larry, Sarah Paulson as Xandra, Finn Wolfhard as Young Boris, Ashleigh Cummings as Adult Pippa, Aimee Lawrence as Young Pippa, Robert Joy as Welty, Boyd Gaines as Mr. Barbour, Luke Kleintank as Adult Platt Barbour and Ryan Foust as Young Andy Barbour.
This was delineated well by director John Crowley ("Intermission" '03, "Celebration" (TV movie) '07, "Boy A" '07, "Is Anybody There?" '08, "Closed Circuit" '13, "Brooklyn" '15) plus TV and a TV short. This filmmaker has this innate ability to dig deep when it comes to emotional grit when it comes to extracting just the correct emotion to fit the scene like a jigsaw puzzle. He hasn't directed a ton of films, but what he has done, he has a distinct style. It was interestingly written by Peter Straughan ("Sixty Six" '06, "Mrs. Ratcliffe's Revolution" '07, "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People" '08, "The Men Who Stare at Goats" '09, "The Debt" '10, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" '11, "Frank" '14, "Our Brand Is Crisis" '15, "The Snowman" '17) plus TV and a short , based on a novel by Donna Tartt. Not that the format used here was necessarily original--it was written as a flashback, yet it was still interesting in that each scenario of Theo's life all, slowly by surely, fit together as the film was entering near the end. As the film opened. there were a couple of places that appeared to be choppy, but, as mentioned before, all fell into place. Patience is imperative with this film, especially it having a 150 minute running time. It is a bit long-in-the-tooth, but again, you must have the patience with it and questions will be answered. Was this style of screenplay purposed in this? Not sure, however it truly does give it a much more original approach to this story. This writer is certainly a 'chameleon' when it comes to his writing--just look at his resume. The best thing about this is the directing, the acting especially by Elgort and the photography by Roger Deakins asc/bsc.
I don't believe that this film was produced for the large audience appeal in that it's a small story done within a global playground and with that, it's not a banal comedy, a film packed visual effects or one that relies heavily on star power which most people like. I've never read the novel which this film is based, but since it was a Pulitzer Prize winning story, it is probably written incredibly well, and I love truly talented writing.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 150mins.
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