There is a saying, “curiosity killed the cat,” that is used to remind us that there are some things we should not be sticking our noses in, such as someone’s personal affairs or condemned buildings. There certainly is some validity to that; however, there are times where curiosity is a healthy trait. With all the wonders this earth has to offer, I cannot imagine someone not having curiosity about something. It is like being on a date and the person never asks you any questions; I find that so odd and would have to assume the person is not interested. When I was little I went through a period, some would say obsession, where I was taking things apart to see how they worked. It did not matter that I could not put them back together. One day my parents came home to discover I removed the doorknob and lock from the front door. At least I used a screwdriver because I will admit there were times I would break an item to see what was inside–especially if it was not working correctly. A healthy portion of curiosity can reveal many magical things around us. The extent the individual went in this documentary to satisfy his curiosity was both fascinating and amusing to observe. Texas based inventor Tim Jenison was not an artist but was intrigued with 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. Tim wanted to know why the artist’s works stood out from all other artists’ pieces during the same time period. Part mystery, part detective story; I enjoyed the way this award winning movie played out. A portion of it was due to the director Teller, half of the comical magic act known as Penn & Teller. Another part was both the narration by Penn Jillette and the subject himself, Tim Jenison. There was a light playful humor throughout the film as Tim devoted a portion of his life to find the answers to his questions. Some of those queries even led him to England to visit the British artist David Hockney. Depending on your frame of mind, some viewers may find this film a bit repetitive; I could have easily seen this on public television or DVD. Surprisingly, I rather enjoyed seeing this at the movie theater. The reason was due to the crowd’s reactions after the film. It was funny to hear all these strangers being curious about a variety of topics that came up for them during the film. Now aren’t you curious to find out for yourself?
3 stars
