In some movies very little happens while in others there’s way too much going on to keep track, and then there’s The Goldfinch.
A quick trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has life-changing consequences for 13 year old Theodore Decker (Ansel Elgort and Oakes Fegley) when a massive bomb explodes. Though he survives, seemingly unscathed, his mother is killed. Taken in by a privileged family headed up by mother, Mrs Barbour (Nicole Kidman), life seems to be working out for him.
Months on however Theodore’s absent father Larry (Luke Wilson) arrives to claim him. Seemingly having turned his life around Mrs Barbour can only watch as her charge is driven away.
Relocating to the outskirts of the desert where the neighbourhood is a string of blocked up repossessed houses, the young boy is left to ponder what could have been. The one saving grace is a painting from the fateful day, a painting of a small finch chained to its perch, trapped.
Moving backwards and forwards in time, the story tracks Theodore’s journey into adulthood. Along the way it touches on topics of family, friendships, first love, grief, domestic violence, drugs, mortgage stress and even a hint of terrorism.
Across the action I pondered:
- I must admit to getting a little confused about who was who as the time frames kept fluctuating;
- Similarly some of the story lines were not adequately resolved, for example it would have been nice to know why Mrs Barbour was so cold and distant;
- As I said at the start, some movies aren’t about much, some are about a lot, The Goldfinch swings between the two. A slow start is overcome with a rush of information at the end.
For more information go to Luna Cinemas
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