Dismissed by some as a Da Vinci Code for highbrows, this is a witty and often ingenious account of how Rembrandt came to paint 'The Night Watch' and the hidden meanings within its composition. Martin Freeman initially struggles as the 17th-century artist faced with endless domestic crises involving his wife Saskia (Eva Birthistle), wet nurse Geertje (Jodhi May) and housemaid Hendrickje (Emily Holmes) as he works on a prestigious commission from the Amsterdam Civic Guard. But he grows into the role and revels in avenging himself on the pompous Captain Frans Banning Cocq (Adrian Lukis) by incorporating symbols relating to homosexuality, corruption and child abuse into his canvas. Impeccably designed and lit by Maarten Piersma and Reinier van Brummelen, this bears comparison with The Draughtsman's Contract (1982) in its discussion of compromised creativity. But, for all its visual lustre, this suffers from a surfeit of sub-plots and some inconsistent acting.

An extravagant, exotic and moving look at Rembrandt's romantic and professional life, and the controversy he created by the identification of a murderer in the painting The Night Watch.