Actually, watching paint dry would be more interesting than watching this plot less, plodding film.<br /><br />I gave it 3 stars out of a possible 10. The ONLY thing this film had going for it was seeing people in a simulated historical setting in the 1700's of Holland. You do get a bit of a glimpse into what life was like for the serving classes and the upper classes in that era.<br /><br />The dialog is extremely sparse. The eyebrow-less Griet (played by Scarlett Johansson)speaks maybe 20 words in the entire film and has one expression throughout, a blank, half-scared stare with her mouth hanging open like she has a sinus condition and can't breathe through her nose normally.<br /><br />Johannes Vermeer (played by Colin Firth)as the artist, also has one expression, a severe, grim frown. He also speaks possibly 20 words in the entire film.<br /><br />By the time the film is finished one knows no more about these characters and how they feel about anything or what their hopes, dreams and heartbreaks are then when we first meet them.