Opened: September 13, 2019

Directed by: John Crowley

Starring: Ansel Elgort, Oakes Fegley, Aneurin Barnard, Finn Wolfhard, Ashleigh Cummings, Aimee Laurence, Willa Fitzgerald, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, Denis O’Hare, Boyd Gaines, Peter Jacobson, Robert Joy, Luke Kleintank, Hailey Wist & Nicole Kidman

Adapting Donna Tartt’s nearly 800-page novel into a feature film was not an easy task and, unfortunately, John Crowley’s The Goldfinch doesn’t convey the emotional gravity needed to make this story resonate.

As a young boy, Theo (Oakes Fegley) loses his mom (Hailey Wist) in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where afterwards he’s convinced by Welty (Robert Joy) to take the undamaged painting of The Goldfinch. As an adult, Theo (Ansel Elgort) must deal with the consequences.

There’s so much that happens to Theo throughout his life that you sympathize with but none of the events, including the all-important bombing, are dealt with in a way that makes you understand the weight of the effects. While you see adult Theo unhappy and using drugs, it’s telling us more than showing.

Final say: A hollowed-out drama. ★★☆☆☆