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The Goldfinch*

The Goldfinch is a movie about young Theodore “Potter” Decker who survives a terrorist bombing at an art museum in New York. After waking up and regaining consciousness, Decker leaves the museum with the famous 17th Century painting he had found in the rubble: The Goldfinch. This movie follows Decker in the past throughout his childhood post bombing and in the present where he tries to lead a healthy life but is unable to move forward due to the past putting him right back to where he was several years ago.

Characters/Acting: 87%

Not enough do we see characters in films who serve more than one purpose; too often are characters disposed of after they’ve fulfiled their purpose that drives the plot. The Goldfinch doesn’t follow that formula which allows high enough praise to be given rightfully so. While we aren’t given a deep dive into every character’s development from adolescence and onward, we are still given just enough about the few who truly mean the most to Decker in his efforts to overcome his trauma. Boris and Hobie especially give the viewer someone to look at and say, “I hope I see more of them.”

Also, Boris as an adult does NOT disappoint.

Soundtrack: 72%

Some soundtracks are memorable, some are not. The Goldfinch’s soundtrack is one of the latter, however, that doesn’t stop it from being good. Comprised mostly of orchestral pieces, The Goldfinch finds itself playing the wrong songs during the right scenes, meaning, the song didn’t exactly fit the tone of the scene, yet, it still felt like it was right to put it there. It’s a big contradiction of “why the hell am I listening to this at THIS very moment?” Despite the confusion that occurs, The Goldfinch does settle in with the right tracks during somber and intense scenes. Occasionally, a film will throw in a licensed song that a couple movie-goers will notice and for The Goldfinch, it was Animal Collective’s Leaf House.

Cinematography: 91%

The best movies make you cry, right? Well, look forward to bawling like a child while watching The Goldfinch because there is at least a scene or two (or four in my case) that the audience can connect with personally, digging up lost memories of what once was when everything seemed to be alright. Even if there aren’t any waterworks, certain scenes and lines will send constant shivers down your spine; an array of goosebumps pecking on each of your every nerves. The camerawork in The Goldfinch is downright stunning. There isn’t much to say about it when words don’t exist to describe the way it all makes you feel inside. The Goldfinch is a beautifully shot film that deserves much more recognition and appreciation than what it receives.

Plot: 79%

Cliches are inevitable and The Goldfinch is no exception to them. Cliches are meant to be used, however, and it is up to the viewer to determine how well a cliche was delivered in the film. In the final act of the film, there is a huge twist that caught many people off-guard (myself included) and completely changed the tone of the film without entirely changing the atmosphere. While there is some disarray to work around there, the film delivers a great segway from the opening scene to the final act, where the viewer is thrown again and again back into the emotional struggles of a man trying to cope with the loss of his mother. Just when the viewer thinks the film is over and is packing up their belongings, there is still another 15 minutes to enjoy and experience after learning that there will not be a saddening, terrible end to an otherwise fantastic work of art.

Enjoyability: 75%

When considering if The Goldfinch is something you can turn on, sit down, and mindlessly enjoy, it turns out that you have to give your full attention towards the film, as it is a possibility the viewer may lose focus of each and every bit of turmoil Decker faces in the massive 149 minutes that this film spans. If you enjoy dedicated pieces of art made by directors who seek to inspire and make the viewer truly feel something in their gut, The Goldfinch is right for you. If you’re looking for something less sophisticated and more of an easy film to cuddle and maybe tune out here and there, seek elsewhere.

Overall: 81%

I truly found The Goldfinch to be an incredible work of art and was shocked to find massive amounts of negative reviews towards this movie. As I looked more into as why that was, it was simply because the director decided to stray away from its source material and was adapted to be something seperate from the novel. I thought that was kind of ridiculous, as adaptations are just what they are: adaptations. Adaptations are meant to be different from its source, hence, ADAPT. If our favorite pieces of literature were adapted into a film and the novel itself was used as the script, then we wouldn’t have much of a work of art at all, rather, it’d be plagiarism. It’s copying your super-smart-best-friend’s homework and passing it off as your own piece that you did all on your own. When looking at adaptations, I tend to compare to nothing else, I simply like to look at what it had to offer and how well it offered those bits to me and for The Goldfinch, those bits were offered on a shining silver platter. The Goldfinch is absolutely worth the watch if you’re invested in emotional art pieces or if you’re a diehard Ansel Elgort/Finn Wolfhard fan.

*This review is entirely based off of the film’s contents and does not regard the novel whatsoever