Theo Decker (Ansel Elgort) was only 13 when his mother died in a museum bombing, sending him on an odyssey of grief and guilt, reinvention and redemption. Through it all, he holds on to one tangible piece of hope from that terrible day: a priceless painting of a bird chained to its perch, The Goldfinch. The latest from John Crowley (Brooklyn) is based on Donna Tartt's bestselling novel.
Oscar winner Nicole Kidman and Baby Driver star Ansel Elgort lead a top-flight cast in this gripping adaptation of Donna Tartt's Pulitzer Prize—winning novel. Following his success with Brooklyn (TIFF 2015), director John Crowley takes on a larger canvas in this sweeping, coming-of-age tale of criminal plots, personal secrets, and the transformative power of art.
We first meet mysterious Theodore Decker (Elgort) holed up in an Amsterdam hotel, desperate and facing a lethal threat. His story since childhood then unfolds in layers of rash decisions and sudden betrayals. Young Theo (Oakes Fegley) saw his privileged life with his mother shattered one day on a visit to an art museum. In the aftermath of an attack among the masterpieces, one priceless 17th-century oil painting goes missing. What happened to the The Goldfinch? And how will its disappearance follow Theo across America throughout his whole youth and on to his Dutch hideout?
Elgort is perfect in the role, showing both the charm and darker shadows that have marked his best work. Kidman is as compelling as ever in every frame. And a stellar cast of actors — Finn Wolfhard, Jeffrey Wright, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson — turn up as characters who further complicate Theo's jagged path.
The Goldfinch was shot by the legendary, Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins, who gives it a polish appropriate to its high-stakes, high-crime story. With its beautiful surfaces, complex undercurrents, and a creative team working at the top of their game, Crowley's latest makes for delicious entertainment.
