'The Goldfinch' Review: John Crowley's Glossy Portrait Loses Its Hue

John Crowley's follow-up to his critically acclaimed Brooklyn is a film adaptation of the Donna Tartt novel 'The Goldfinch', and sadly, it's a bit of a setback. Crowley attempts to juggle all the characters and storylines at the same time that it seems like he's forgotten to imbue the novel's essence and moral. It's compelling in its seriousness and fun in its lightheartedness but together it feels like an explosion of tone that shifts from time to time to time and never established an overall distinct atmosphere.

The Goldfinch weaves between two periods in the life of Theo Decker, who was orphaned as a kid (Oakes Fegley) when his mother was killed in a terrorist bombing while they're at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, destroying precious pieces of art excluding The Goldfinch painting, which he took possession after a dying man from the explosion asked him to "take it". As an adult (Ansel Elgort), Theo still keeps the priceless painting reminding him both of the tragedy and his beloved mom.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Like most literary material, it's one with a lot of side stories and characters that all revolve in the main character's life. It has Samantha (Nicole Kidman), a cold but kind socialite who took Theo in after the tragedy, Samantha's household which includes her children Platt, Kitsey, and Andy and her husband Chance, Theo's deadbeat father (Luke Wilson) and his promiscuous girlfriend, Xandra (Sarah Paulson), Pippa, Theo's unrequited love and obsession, Hobie, (Jeffrey Wright) as Pippa's guardian and later his mentor, and the side-character I enjoyed most, Boris (Finn Wolfhard) who was sort of a bad influence but ended up being one of his closest friend.

All of these characters and their relationship with Theo are distinct, compelling and pivotal to his story. And yet, their combination couldn't save the narrative that struggles to find its rhythm throughout the film.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

On a positive note, it looks glossy and gorgeous throughout. No surprise since Roger Deakins shot this. From the crispness of the images to the warmth of the lighting that exudes from the screen, it's one that could count as a masterpiece, if only the script could. There are several shots in the film that linger and there are also several scenes that have Deakins' signature where the subject is shot against the twilight. It's beautiful, but not enough to save the film.

Despite all this, it's still a compelling story, only told ineffectively. It was just a story, but nothing to take in. Theo's trauma remains his from start to finish.