TULIP FEVER: A Lesson In Trying Too Hard
Based on the bestselling book by Deborah Moggach (who co-wrote the script), and after years of delay, Tulip Fever has finally hit theaters. The film is directed by Justin Chadwick (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom) and written by Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love). Despite having all the ingredients for success, including three Oscar-winning actors, the arrangement fails to impress.
The title comes from the height of Tulip Mania, referring to the rise and fall of bulb sales in the 17th century Netherlands. The movie starts with a brief animated lesson, and throughout the movie they touch on this historical rhetoric, but it’s never awarded its due.
Set in 1634, Sophia (Alicia Vikander), grows up in an orphanage and is later purchased by the powerful merchant Cornelis Sandvoort, Christoph Waltz. He’s dubbed the “King of Peppercorn,” and for him their arrangement means producing an heir, after losing his own child and wife years before. Waltz is pained, prideful, and as always, his performance is spot on.
Sex, romance? Flowers!
After a few years and no pregnancy, Sophia worries he will trade her in for someone younger. Vikander’s stoic turn as the dutiful Sophia conveys her internal imprisonment well, and in their moments of quiet contemplation the two are convincing. While we see these two upstairs in their loveless bedroom scenes, downstairs we witness maid Maria Holliday Grainger and lusty fishmonger Willem played by Jack O’Connell engaging in their own passion. It’s a colorful contrast, with the latter being the more believable couple of the film.
Cornelis finds it wise to commission struggling painter Jan van Loos Dane Dehaan to immortalize them with a portrait. The two young stars quickly fall in love and begin their affair. Despite their best efforts, their scenes play out like actors pretending to have sex. That same disconnect echoes loudly throughout the entirety of the sluggish plot. While his last few movies have flopped, Dehaan is still a promising actor. This role was just not suited for his talents. There is no substance to their romance, with chemistry liken to acquaintances at best.
The unraveling
The movie really loses its viewers when it breathes air into unnecessary subplots. Some at times, border on preposterous. The two women, who flit between friends and adversaries, hatch a scheme. Maria is pregnant, Willem has disappeared, and Sophia needs a baby to pacify Cornelis while she plots. With the help of a sleazy doctor played by Tom Hollander, it’s an easy, smart, convenient fix, with a lot of trickery. This storyline is just propped in there, as if no one will notice. Cornelis certainly doesn’t suspect a thing. The two star-crossed lovers eventually birth a plan that teeters between bold and foolish, involving the tulip trade, and lots of misdirection.
There is a variety of notable supporting roles including fellow Valerian star Cara Delevingne, Dehaan’s drunk sidekick Zach Galifianakis (who brings some much-needed levity) and the always wonderful Judi Dench. Her limited role offers a respite, but it’s too little too late.
The film is visually appealing. Beautiful costumes with colors that pop, and rich set designs wet the appetite, while Danny Elfman’s score moves you. The music makes the material more riveting and thrilling than the script does. Eigil Bryld’s shots are inspiring, and the use of handheld cameras offers a soft vulnerability to certain scenes. The biggest issue with Tulip Fever is in its desire to be grandiose and tantalizing. There is no lack of effort, but there’s too much to satisfy one story.
Tulip Fever: Conclusion
Overall, Tulip Fever is a pretty picture, and it effectively transports you back in time, but once you are there you’ll be headed to the exit before you can even smell the tulips. It brings nothing new to the screen and its fun moments are overshadowed by the outrageous ones. The chaotic script never fully commits, and by the end we are wondering what went wrong. I left the theater dizzy.
Do you agree? Do you think Tulip Fever should have remained shelved?
Tulip Fever got theatrical release on September 1st.
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