TULIP FEVER

TULIP FEVER:  Set in 17th century Amsterdam, an orphaned girl Sophia (Alicia Vikaner) is forced to marry a rich and powerful merchant Cornelis Sandvoort (ChristophWaltz).  While the marriage saves her from poverty, it is a not the perfect arrangement.  When her husband commissions a portrait, she begins an affair with the young painter Jan Van Loos (Dane DeHaan). Intrigue, mistaken identiy and the like follow.   This film is very reminiscent of the wonderful movies from the Ivory/Merchant team of some years back.   It is slow and methodical at times but sumptuous to look at and always intriguing .   In the supporting cast we have the wonderful  Judi Dench who seems to be everywhere right now ("Murder on the Orient Express" and "Victoria and Abdul" are on the horizon.) and the delightful Zach Galiflanakis, along with Matthew Morrison, Tom Hollander and Holliday Grainger.  All in all, a stellar cast and a fascinating look at how the tulip industry first began with a brilliant script by Tom Stoppard.