CREATIVE MINDS WILL LOVE ‘THE GOLDFINCH’

Life can change in an instant. And a new film, “The Goldfinch,” does an incredible job illustrating this.

The movie portrays how a young Theodore Decker, played by Oakes Fegley, has his life sent spiraling out of control by a bombing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Young Theo’s mother is killed in the blast and in the aftermath, he finds himself in front of “The Goldfinch,” the famous last painting by Carel Fabritius.

As he stands there, Theo finds himself taking the painting and putting it into his bag. The story follows Theo as he is taken in by the Barbers, a couple that were friends of his mother. Fast forward a few years and we now find an adult Theo, played by Ansel Elgort, working in an antiques shop with a close friend named Hobie, played by Jeffery Wright, who has taught Theo everything he knows.

The rest of the movie closely follows Theo as he navigates through the maze his life has thrown him into, all the time haunted by the shadow of the painting he stole when he was a boy. 

You’ll have to watch the movie to find out the rest, but why should you?

This movie is perfect for anyone with a love of art and objects whose age spans centuries. The plot is fraught with drama, suspense, and more danger than you might expect, and has a way of showing the viewer the gritty reality of life.

For those that think this movie will be boring, worry not. The film has managed to create a delicate balance between drama and action, winding them together in a way that very few movies can truly pull off. Watching Theo try and live his life can remind the viewer that life truly is what you make of it, assuming you’re willing to take a risk or two to get what you want.

If you’re looking for a way to fill a couple of empty hours this weekend, love art in all its forms, or are just looking for a movie that you can watch with a loved one and remind you how close the two of you really are, then give “The Goldfinch” a watch. You won’t be disappointed.

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