The film is not a fully bloomed, energetic story, but an elegantly placed still life in search of a spark of dynamism.
There is nothing in the so-called zeitgeist of the film that has enough weight to nail the story, and the whole gives the audience a stereotyped feeling, and this stereotype is not because the historical background is set 380 years ago.
"Tulip Fever," the floral fiasco, is so lifeless that you don't feel any pulse at all.
The most embarrassing aspect of "Tulip Fever" is its narrative structure, and its attempt to force an analogy between the love story line and the speculation in the tulip bulb market, so that the underground love between the protagonists can be seen from the character's point of view. The motivation to go up is insufficient, and the overall setting is broken.
The film is actually a collection of multiple romances, in which characters often make bad decisions and then try to avoid the worst consequences. "Tulip Fever" lacks a neutral perspective, and the protagonist Sophia is more of a mystery, handcuffed by the screenwriter. For fans of historical dramas, the film will be a decent pastime, but emotionally unimpressive, which makes the audience wonder.
