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“The Goldfinch” Can’t Fool the Audience Into Making it a Good Movie

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5 years ago

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The painting at the center of The Goldfinch is an example of trompe l’oeil, a flat painted surface that “tricks the eye” into believing it is three-dimensional.In the case of Carel Fabritius‘ small painting of 1654, the image is of a goldfinch perched on a wall-mounted stand. On closer examination, the viewer notices that the bird is chained to the stand. It is a subtle and striking work, but like most examples of tromp l’oeil, it is most effective when seen from a distance. Get too close and the signs of the artist’s hand breaks the illusion.

In the case of John Crowley’s film version of Donna Tartt’s novel, The Goldfinch, one need not look too closely before the magic dissolves. This is a film that tries to do too much, cover too much ground, and continuously takes short cuts, which in the end and throughout the 2 1/2 hour playtime, keeps the film from ever truly engaging the audience. Instead, we are aware of the story being sewn together, of holes in the plot being patched with painful leaps, truncations, or wild coincidences;  of a few three-dimensional characters surrounded by stereotypes; and of mysteries that, rather than intriguing us, instead frustrate or bore.

In spite of Roger Deakins’ beautiful imagery, The Goldfinch never becomes the prestige film it longs to be. Instead, it remains a messy character study of a young man seeking moral and emotional footing in a world (and a plot) that keeps shifting beneath him. This is not helped by the choice to have the actors portraying Theodore Decker (Oakes Finley and Ansel Elgort) play the wounded protagonist encased in a such a shell of shock and survival that it’s hard to find a way in.

Finley plays a somewhat believable child and teen, but Elgort in many way squeezes down the character. Despite one framing meltdown, his performance is so restrained as to hint at an interior vacuum. As a result, when he does need to emote and telegraph real pain, a tear might appear behind his glasses but not much more. This could be interesting, a way for the audience to be drawn through empathy into Theodore’s suffering and coping. But too often this is betrayed by a plot turn or coincidence that makes one flinch or ache.

It’s only fair to mention that within this mess there were some solid performances. Jeffrey Wright as Hobie, the antiques restorer, certainly has the most integrity and essence. His pain seems the most genuine, and of course he is given the defining monologue tying the meaning of art, The Goldfinch in particular, to our transitory and befuddled lives. Nicole Kidman’s Mrs. Barbour has times when one wondered what was behind her penetrating stares. Unfortunately, this film was not particularly interested in showing us. Luke Wilson plays a dude and Sarah Paulson his low-brow girlfriend. Neither actor has much more to work with.

Unfortunately, even from a healthy distance this film does not become engaging, let alone gripping, and certainly not moving. As a result, no trick of the eye can transform it into a powerful work of art, nor let the bird fly from his stand.

 

 

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Paramount+ Reveals Official Main Title Sequence for the Upcoming Series TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

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9 hours ago

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July 26, 2024

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During the TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES panel earlier today at San Diego Comic Con, Paramount+ revealed the official main title sequence for the series. The sequence is composed by EMMY® nominee, Matt Mahaffey, known for his work on Sanjay and Craig, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie and much more. 

From the studios of the Mutant Mayhem film, the all-new Paramount+ original series TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES explores the adventures of everyone’s favorite pizza-loving heroes as they emerge from the sewers onto the streets of NYC. Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey are faced with new threats and team up with old allies to survive both teenage life and villains lurking in the shadows of the Big Apple. The series is produced by Nickelodeon Animation and Point Grey Pictures.

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES is executive produced by Chris Yost (The Mandalorian, Thor: Ragnarok) and Alan Wan (Blue Eye Samurai, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2012 Series]). Production is overseen for Nickelodeon by Claudia Spinelli, Senior Vice President, TV Series Animation, Nickelodeon, and Nikki Price, Director of Development and Executive in Charge of Production.

In addition to the upcoming new series, stream all things Turtles on Paramount+.

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Comic-Con 2024: Those About to Die Activation

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12 hours ago

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July 26, 2024

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DISNEY+ CASTS DANIEL DIEMER AS FAN-FAVORITE ‘TYSON’IN SEASON TWO OF “PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS”

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12 hours ago

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July 26, 2024

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 in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, Rick Riordan and Disney+ revealed that Daniel Diemer (“Under the Bridge”) will star as fan-favorite cyclops “Tyson” in the epic adventure series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” Diemer joins Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson), Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth Chase) and Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood) as a series regular. The Disney+ Original series from Disney Branded Television and 20th Television will start filming its second season next week in Vancouver.

Season two of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is based on the second installment of Disney Hyperion’s best-selling book series titled “The Sea of Monsters” by award-winning author Rick Riordan. In the new season, Percy Jackson returns to Camp Half-Blood one year later to find his world turned upside down. His friendship with Annabeth is changing, he learns he has a cyclops for a brother, Grover has gone missing, and camp is under siege from the forces of Kronos. Percy’s journey to set things right will take him off the map and into the deadly Sea of Monsters, where a secret fate awaits the son of Poseidon.

Diemer stars as Tyson – a young Cyclops who grew up all alone on the streets, and finds it difficult to survive in the human world.  Shy and awkward, with a heart almost as big as he is, Tyson soon discovers that Poseidon is his father, which means Percy Jackson is his half-brother… and that Tyson may have finally found a home. 

Diemer recently starred in the Hulu limited series “Under the Bridge” based off the critically acclaimed book of the same name and a tragic true story of a missing teen girl in Vancouver in 1997. He will next star in the indie “Thug” opposite Liam Neeson and Ron Perlman for director Hans Petter Moland. Daniel was recently seen as the lead in the indie “Supercell” opposite Alec Baldwin and Skeet Ulrich and the lead in the film “Little Brother” opposite Phil Ettinger and JK Simmons. Daniel can also be seen in the Netflix series “The Midnight Club” and recently starred as the male lead in the breakout hit Netflix feature “The Half Of It” from producer Anthony Bregman and director Alice Wu. He is a graduate of Victoria Academy of Dramatic Arts in Vancouver.

Created by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg, season two of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is executive produced by Steinberg and Dan Shotz alongside Rick Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Craig Silverstein, The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Bert Salke, The Gotham Group’s Jeremy Bell and D.J. Goldberg, James Bobin, Jim Rowe, Albert Kim, Jason Ensler and Sarah Watson.

The first season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is available on Disney+

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