Support Shadows: Buy a Poster

The plot is fairly contrived and melodramatic, like a pulp romance novel with lots of heaving bosoms and barely repressed desires--handsome poor boys, scary rich men, sexy untouchables, controlling old bags and cruelly jealous girls. Every element is here, and yet the story keeps us gripped due to its refusal to give into standard Hollywood plot structures. Meanwhile, the acting is far above average, with Johansson delivering yet another strikingly solid performance as a young girl waking up to the world around her, and making difficult decisions about her future. Firth, Wilkinson and Murphy add life to their rather underwritten roles, while the rest of the women are efficient stereotypes swirling around Griet. The production design is absolutely beautiful--each frame looks like a 17th century Dutch masterpiece! And Webber's direction is artfully light-handed; several scenes take our breath away with their raw beauty, often combined with a strong emotional resonance. So it's a bit frustrating that the film is so portentous; it takes itself so seriously that it's hard for us to really believe it. But in Johansson's remarkably expressive eyes, it still has the power to move us.