I just got back from seeing Girl With a Pearl Earring with Tamara, which was much more involving than I had expected; I was expecting a rather dull literary adaptation, but the movie is surprisingly absorbing and suspenseful. The highlight of the afternoon, however, was the most exhilarating series of previews I've seen in months: The Clearing, Spartan, Dogville, and especially Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. After a bleak couple of months, we finally appear to be emerging from the post-Christmas dog days of the cinema year. It's enough to make you happy about going to the movies alone.