Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Tim's Vermeer Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 6, 2014

History, mystery, geometry, artistry, and mastery all converge in Tim's Vermeer, an unequivocally excellent Documentary about a man (Tim Jenison) of admitted limited artistic ability but a man of sharp intellect and with a keen eye for detail, a deep technological know-how, an inquisitive mind, and a can-do spirit who sets out to recreate one of the world's most famous works of art -- Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer's The Music Lesson -- by recreating the process by which the artist must have painted the picture, down to not only a perfect recreation of the environment and the artist's tools used but with a clever optical device aid in his arsenal. Filmmaker and longtime Jenison friend Penn Jillette narrates the incredible story of perseverance, scientific curiosity, artistic mastery, and historical merit. Jillette's longtime partner-in-magic, Teller, directs.

Artist.

The film follows Tim Jenison as he undertakes a multi-year project of deep research, well-constructed hypotheses, and painting in his quest to achieve the "impossible" goal of recreating a genuine Vermeer painting. The 17th century Dutch painter's works have long been scrutinized and adored for their unique, almost photographic, qualities, differing greatly in style and appearance from works produced by his contemporaries. Vermeer, long considered by many in the art community to be the greatest oil painter of all time, has baffled even modern art experts. X-rays of his works show no underlying sketches or lines, and the detail with which he paints seems impossible. Over time, conjecture grew into hypotheses that were published in several books on Vermeer, including Secret Knowledge by David Hockney. Hockney's book theorizes that Vermeer made use of a gadget then known as a "Camera Obscura" that would allow an image turned 180-degrees to be projected on a canvas, allowing him to paint with precision detail the reflected image.

Tim Jenison's quest began when his daughter gifted him a copy of Hockney's book. Jenison, fascinated by the technological wherewithal necessary to create a prized work of art, set out to prove the theory by creating his own Vermeer. Along the way, Jenison made several discoveries that would reshape and better define the realities behind Vermeer's works. Jenison's research led him to Europe to immerse himself in Vermeer's world and even a brief, private audience with the work itself. Finally believing to have perfected the technique Vermeer used to create his masterpieces, Jenison set out to painstakingly recreate the environment in which he worked and the tools he used to paint and, finally, to undertake the long, arduous, and physically, mentally, and emotionally draining task of painting his own masterpiece in Vermeer's style.

The film plays significantly better than it sounds in a condensed review or blurb on the back of the box or splashed across an official promotional website. The picture's focus never wavers, and the surprising level of intensity builds quickly and never relents as Tim progresses towards the painting phase and, then, spends many, many weeks and months crafting his Vermeer look-alike. The film works as well as it does because it not only immerses the audience in the mystery of Vermeer's techniques and Tim's efforts to discover and recreate them, but because it offers a palpable sense of hardship and stress as he methodically paints his would-be masterpiece but also creates just as much a feeling of satisfaction when he accomplishes a goal either on his canvas or in his research. The film effortlessly brings the audience into the mystery and the artistry both by first pulling the audience in with a well-versed and accessible yet fairly technical discussion of science and history -- everything from how the human eye sees and how the brain perceives it to the geometry and physics behind the lenses and reflections and colors and lights -- and transitioning to Tim's work on the painting.

The picture is technically simple; Director Teller makes the camera, in essence, the audiences' eyes and ears, showing perspectives that the audience wants -- and needs -- to see but otherwise framing the movie in such a way that the people, the stories, and the work they do drive the film. Tim Jenison makes for a likable protagonist, not quite a grandfatherly type -- he's too young and spry for that, despite the gray hair and beard -- but certainly a man with whom the audience can relate and come to know and appreciate for his dedication to the task. The audience will also experience with him the euphoria of his "eureka" moments and the blunt struggles he experiences throughout the process. The film is further aided by Penn Jillette's narration and commentary, serving as a de facto tour guide throughout the entire process, making difficult concepts easier to understand and filling in gaps that are crucial to not only understanding the history and the process that will go into recreating it but appreciating the many challenges and feeling the struggles as they emerge one after another.

Tim's Vermeer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Tim's Vermeer features a fair 1080p transfer sourced from a digital shoot. The image is nothing spectacular in a broad sense. It's glossy and flat, nicely detailed but not particularly attractive. In a general sense, it produces solid details and colors, picking up with commendable accuracy facial hair and skin and clothing textures and, later, nicely capturing the finer points on close-up shots of Tim's work on his painting. Colors don't really sparkle, but again the close-ups reveal some nice color nuance and detail on the painting. Light banding and noise are occasionally evident, as are heavy compression artifacts in select scenes. To call this a rather "plain" transfer would be an accurate statement. The source photography does it no favors, but Sony's Blu-ray appears to replicate its original appearance as well as can be expected.

Tim's Vermeer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Tim's Vermeer features a straightforward DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track's needs are limited, and the audio output satisfies the film's requirements. The musical open, and other musical elements throughout, enjoy satisfactory spacing, clarity throughout the range, and a positive, though not at all heavy, low end. Otherwise, the film is practically all dialogue-driven. The spoken word flows from the center with commendable accuracy and clarity.

Tim's Vermeer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Tim's Vermeer's supplemental package includes an audio commentary track and a collection of lengthy and fascinating deleted, alternate, and extended scenes.

• Audio Commentary: Tim Jenison, Penn Jillette, Teller, and Farley Ziegler share a commentary almost as fascinating as the film, in many ways recapping it but digging well beyond the surface to examine a lot of tidbits and important ideas that aren't included in the film. Fans of the film will definitely want to give this one a listen.
• Toronto International Film Festival Q&A (HD, 21:21): Moderator Thom Powers hosts Penn & Teller, Tim Jenison, and Producer Farley Ziegler.
• Deleted Scenes (HD): Penn & Teller's Deleted Intro (3:21), Tim and Penn on How It All Started (8:12), Tim's "Indy" Moment (1:47), Penn & Teller's Deleted "Queen" Tirade (2:34), Tim's Collection of Tools (1:42), and Final Brush Strokes (6:06).
• Extended & Alternate Scenes (HD): Tim Teaches Martin Mull Some History (44:01), Tim, Martin and Caravaggio (6:36), Painting the First Live Model (34:31), David Hockney on Art, Life and Cigarettes (13:31), and Painting Video Log (40:20).
• Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:05).
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.
• DVD Copy.

Tim's Vermeer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Patience is a virtue, persistence is a gift, and perfection is the result. Tim's Vermeer recreation is not only something to be proud of, it's an example of that persistence and patience in action and a demonstration of what man is capable of accomplishing when he dedicates himself to a cause, even one that seems much larger than he can bear. This is a truly outstanding Documentary, a captivating, smart, and very well put-together masterpiece in every way. Tim's Vermeer's Blu-ray release features good video and audio. Supplements are satisfactory. Highly recommended.