[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from the finale of “The Miniaturist.”]
In “The Miniaturist” finale, the promising life Nella (Anya Taylor-Joy) thought she would have when she married and moved to Amsterdam resulted in horror and heartbreak. The city may have been enjoying a Dutch Golden Age of art, innovation, and trade, but that also led to a blinkered commerce-driven ambition that had no tolerance for those that didn’t seem to conform or contribute. On Sunday’s episode, that took its toll on the Brandt family twice over.
Nella’s husband Johannes Brandt (Alex Hassell) went on trial for supposedly forcing himself on another man, reneging on a business deal, and being homosexual — a crime in 17th century Amsterdam. Eventually, the verdict came in clearing him on all counts except for the last one, which unfortunately carried a death sentence. After spending an evening in jail comforting her husband, the next day she watched as he was publicly executed by drowning.
In “The Miniaturist” finale, the promising life Nella (Anya Taylor-Joy) thought she would have when she married and moved to Amsterdam resulted in horror and heartbreak. The city may have been enjoying a Dutch Golden Age of art, innovation, and trade, but that also led to a blinkered commerce-driven ambition that had no tolerance for those that didn’t seem to conform or contribute. On Sunday’s episode, that took its toll on the Brandt family twice over.
Nella’s husband Johannes Brandt (Alex Hassell) went on trial for supposedly forcing himself on another man, reneging on a business deal, and being homosexual — a crime in 17th century Amsterdam. Eventually, the verdict came in clearing him on all counts except for the last one, which unfortunately carried a death sentence. After spending an evening in jail comforting her husband, the next day she watched as he was publicly executed by drowning.
- 9/24/2018
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
‘The Miniaturist’ Star and Author Weigh in on Marin’s Secret and Her Clandestine Life in the Shadows
[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from “The Miniaturist” Episode 2.]
In its first outing, “The Miniaturist” revealed that wealthy trader Johannes Brandt (Alex Hassell) harbored a huge secret that could spell social ruin and very possibly lead to his own death. It turns out that his sister Marin (Romola Garai) has her own potentially damaging secret that she divulged to her sister-in-law Nella (Anya Taylor-Joy) by the end of the second episode.
Marin is pregnant, which is an unexpected development since she’s unmarried and has made a show of being strict, devout, and endlessly judgmental. Her having an illicit sexual relationship isn’t the first time that the Brandts had lived outside of the rigid 17th-century Dutch rules for propriety. Everyone in the household had been helping to hide the fact that Johannes is gay, and only by accident did Nella discover his sexuality and that she had been brought in as his beard.
“What I...
In its first outing, “The Miniaturist” revealed that wealthy trader Johannes Brandt (Alex Hassell) harbored a huge secret that could spell social ruin and very possibly lead to his own death. It turns out that his sister Marin (Romola Garai) has her own potentially damaging secret that she divulged to her sister-in-law Nella (Anya Taylor-Joy) by the end of the second episode.
Marin is pregnant, which is an unexpected development since she’s unmarried and has made a show of being strict, devout, and endlessly judgmental. Her having an illicit sexual relationship isn’t the first time that the Brandts had lived outside of the rigid 17th-century Dutch rules for propriety. Everyone in the household had been helping to hide the fact that Johannes is gay, and only by accident did Nella discover his sexuality and that she had been brought in as his beard.
“What I...
- 9/17/2018
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Anya Taylor-Joy made quite the impression in her breakout role as the vulnerable Thomasin in “The Witch.” Since then, she’s been no stranger to projects that delve into horrors and the evil that men do, such as when she played a kidnapped girl in M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split.” This career trajectory has caused some to dub her the next scream queen, but that label feels far too simplistic.
For one, Taylor-Joy only rarely plays the damsel in distress. In fact, she’s often the one to watch out for in films such as “Morgan,” “Thoroughbreds,” and in the upcoming “New Mutants” adaptation in which she portrays a mutant with sorcerous powers. Nevertheless, there’s still a desire to define her as a type of “it girl,” perhaps because her wide-set eyes and porcelain skin give her an otherworldly air that fits with these sinister storylines.
“In Hollywood people...
For one, Taylor-Joy only rarely plays the damsel in distress. In fact, she’s often the one to watch out for in films such as “Morgan,” “Thoroughbreds,” and in the upcoming “New Mutants” adaptation in which she portrays a mutant with sorcerous powers. Nevertheless, there’s still a desire to define her as a type of “it girl,” perhaps because her wide-set eyes and porcelain skin give her an otherworldly air that fits with these sinister storylines.
“In Hollywood people...
- 9/16/2018
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from Episode 1 of “The Miniaturist” miniseries. For a non-spoilery read, check out IndieWire’s review.]
“The Miniaturist” is anything but a run-of-the-mill period drama, and the premiere’s ending proved that. The main currency in PBS’ miniseries is surprise, ranging from the small moments of wonder to the mysterious revelations regarding the miniatures that furnish the dollhouse belonging to new 17th-century Dutch bride Petronella (Anya Taylor-Joy), aka Nella.
The biggest shocker, however, came in the last moments of the episode after elaborate misdirection had been built up. Petronella had arrived in Amsterdam and was greeted, not by her new husband Johannes Brandt (Alex Hassle), but coldly by her strict sister-in-law Marin (Romola Garai). Passive-aggressive behavior, whispered conversations, Johannes avoiding consummating their marriage, and other clues pointed to Johannes possibly preferring his sister’s company over his wife’s. Even busybody Agnes Meermans (Aislín McGuckin) seemed as if she were about to announce the...
“The Miniaturist” is anything but a run-of-the-mill period drama, and the premiere’s ending proved that. The main currency in PBS’ miniseries is surprise, ranging from the small moments of wonder to the mysterious revelations regarding the miniatures that furnish the dollhouse belonging to new 17th-century Dutch bride Petronella (Anya Taylor-Joy), aka Nella.
The biggest shocker, however, came in the last moments of the episode after elaborate misdirection had been built up. Petronella had arrived in Amsterdam and was greeted, not by her new husband Johannes Brandt (Alex Hassle), but coldly by her strict sister-in-law Marin (Romola Garai). Passive-aggressive behavior, whispered conversations, Johannes avoiding consummating their marriage, and other clues pointed to Johannes possibly preferring his sister’s company over his wife’s. Even busybody Agnes Meermans (Aislín McGuckin) seemed as if she were about to announce the...
- 9/11/2018
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Two weeks after HBO’s Southern gothic thriller “Sharp Objects” revealed its twisted ending, another drama featuring a dollhouse is opening its doors to welcome viewers into a meticulously crafted world. “The Miniaturist,” based on Jessie Burton’s novel of the same name, is PBS’ three-part adaptation that satisfies the “Masterpiece” aesthete’s hunger for beautiful visuals, lavish costuming, and mesmerizing performances.
Set in the 17th century, “The Miniaturist” follows Petronella “Nella” Oortman (“The Witch” and “Split” star Anya Taylor-Joy), a wide-eyed 18-year-old from Assendelft, who has traveled to Amsterdam to join the household of her new husband, Johannes Brandt (Alex Hassell). On the surface, it appears to be the usual sort of marriage contract: She and her family benefit from his wealth and status, while he receives a youthful bride to help continue the Brandt line and look pretty while doing it. The latter, in fact, appears to be...
Set in the 17th century, “The Miniaturist” follows Petronella “Nella” Oortman (“The Witch” and “Split” star Anya Taylor-Joy), a wide-eyed 18-year-old from Assendelft, who has traveled to Amsterdam to join the household of her new husband, Johannes Brandt (Alex Hassell). On the surface, it appears to be the usual sort of marriage contract: She and her family benefit from his wealth and status, while he receives a youthful bride to help continue the Brandt line and look pretty while doing it. The latter, in fact, appears to be...
- 9/9/2018
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
A solid edition of the PBS “Masterpiece” lineup tends to indulge some combination of the following: a plucky heroine, a secretly soft hero, a compelling romance and/or mystery, and a lush period backdrop to set it all off. “The Miniaturist” — based on Jessie Burton’s 2014 novel — technically works well as the latest entry, traveling back to 1686 Amsterdam for a tale laced with secrecy, intrigue, and even a hint of supernatural subterfuge. It features a determined heroine in teen bride Nella, sent to live in a new home with a rich and broody new husband Johannes Brandt (Alex Hassell), his wary sister Marin (Romola Garai), and a pair of servants — surly Cornelia (Hayley Squires) and loyal Otto (Paapa Essiedu) — who know much more about all of the above than they initially let on.
But things only start to take off once Johannes gifts Nella with a dollhouse modeled after her new home,...
But things only start to take off once Johannes gifts Nella with a dollhouse modeled after her new home,...
- 9/5/2018
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
“I knew nothing about Amsterdam before I wrote this book,” author Jessie Burton said at TCA during a panel discussion about PBS Masterpiece’s new series The Miniaturist–the tale of Petronella, a young woman married to a rich merchant in 1600s Amsterdam.
Burton had been inspired during a vacation in the Dutch city, when she came across an elaborate doll’s house in a museum, once owned by the real-life Petronella who spent more on the doll’s house than on a real home. “I had an idea for a story of a woman Petronella, who I make much younger than the real Nella,” Burton said. “She’s this young woman coming into this world of machiavellian intrigue and trade.”
When Nella moves into her new husband’s home, he presents her with a miniature version of their house, which is slowly filled with dolls and trinkets by a mysterious miniaturist.
Burton had been inspired during a vacation in the Dutch city, when she came across an elaborate doll’s house in a museum, once owned by the real-life Petronella who spent more on the doll’s house than on a real home. “I had an idea for a story of a woman Petronella, who I make much younger than the real Nella,” Burton said. “She’s this young woman coming into this world of machiavellian intrigue and trade.”
When Nella moves into her new husband’s home, he presents her with a miniature version of their house, which is slowly filled with dolls and trinkets by a mysterious miniaturist.
- 7/31/2018
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline Film + TV
Aliya Whiteley Dec 27, 2017
Spoilers ahead in or review of BBC One's sumptuous Christmas drama, The Miniaturist...
This review contains spoilers.
See related 35 must-watch movies in 2017
Boxing Day evening has become a strong slot to kick off dark BBC drama, with two excellent Agatha Christie adaptations being shown in recent years that have relished in the kind of misdeeds that suit the post-gift comedown. This year we had a break from the golden era of crime for something contemporary: Jessie Burton’s bestselling novel The Miniaturist, published in 2014, adapted for the screen by John Brownlow. Still firmly in the realm of mystery, this was not about murder, but offered a very intriguing set of puzzles to be solved - although the answer were, perhaps, less suited to the screen than the page.
Some elements were a gift to the eyes: seventeenth century Amsterdam brings to mind the paintings of masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer,...
Spoilers ahead in or review of BBC One's sumptuous Christmas drama, The Miniaturist...
This review contains spoilers.
See related 35 must-watch movies in 2017
Boxing Day evening has become a strong slot to kick off dark BBC drama, with two excellent Agatha Christie adaptations being shown in recent years that have relished in the kind of misdeeds that suit the post-gift comedown. This year we had a break from the golden era of crime for something contemporary: Jessie Burton’s bestselling novel The Miniaturist, published in 2014, adapted for the screen by John Brownlow. Still firmly in the realm of mystery, this was not about murder, but offered a very intriguing set of puzzles to be solved - although the answer were, perhaps, less suited to the screen than the page.
Some elements were a gift to the eyes: seventeenth century Amsterdam brings to mind the paintings of masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer,...
- 12/19/2017
- Den of Geek
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