OK, so a lot of comments I've read on this film have called it beautiful. Is this a sign of unimaginativeness? Is it just fans jumping on the band waggon in their admiration? No - it is a true description of this film because that is the word that jumps to minds on seeing this film. The lighting subtly filling corners in the painting studio, spilling over the actor's clothes, reflecting off the dark water as the guests arrive for the birth feast; this aspect of the film alone shows the hard work and dedication of the people involved to make this film look like a Vermeer painting. And it works. Perfectly.<br /><br />So do the actors, Colin Firth breathing life into the taciturn artist so completely, he effectively walks off the page in the novel and into our imagination. Scarlett Johannson portrays the innocence and youth of the maid Griet with equal skill and vivacity. Solo, these actors are a credit to their profession - couple, they are an erotic force to be reckoned with. Each fleeting moment of contact is so sexy because it never actually leads to anything between the two.<br /><br />So watch this film once, then watch it again to appreciate the effort made by the crew and actors to make this film truly deserving of the title 'beautiful'.