High Art : Retratos Sublimes

I thought this movie was absolutely beautiful.

To begin with, the cinematography was a wonderful experiment. A variety of contemporary photographers were hired to shoot individual scenes or stills used in the movie. While this device could have left us with a fragmented feeling, it worked quite well to put us in the mind of characters who work in "art" photography.

The plot was poignant and difficult. While it could have left me unsatisfied with a Hollywood ending, it took a bolder route, which in the end was much more satisfying.

I felt that the acting was quite well done. This script could have led to a lot of really dreadful mugging for the camera, but the director got very specific performances from a talented cast.

Though not as widely acclaimed as "Laurel Canyon" I thought this movie was more satisfying. If you liked Canyon, this one definitely deserves to be seen.

I am always on the lookout for good lesbian movies with good acting and they are very hard to find. High Art fills both criteria, but every time I watch this movie I feel depressed. I don't know why, especially since I don't mind "dark" movies in the least. The relationships between the characters just feel empty to me. And, I never quite know what to make of the heretofore straight girl who falls for the gay girl. It must be said that the acting is quite good, especially Patricia Clarkson as the drugged out girlfriend of Ally Sheedy. Sheedy is also fantastic as the burned out photographer Lucy Berliner. I just didn't relate to any of these characters or to their relationships with each other, and in the end did not really care who lived or died.

None of the characters in this film are the stereotypes you might expect, and a few of the performances are simply magnificent. Patricia Clarkson in particular probably won't be an Oscar contender, but certainly should be. The two leads are also played to perfection, and I enjoyed the film far more than I had anticipated. Definitely should not have been relegated to the art-house circuit.

It seemed like Ally Sheedy hadn't done much since "The Breakfast Club" when she starred in "High Art", and she does a pretty good job here as photographer Lucy Berliner, who becomes involved with neighbor Syd (Radha Mitchell), and they both start reevaluating their lives.

I'll admit that this isn't the ultimate masterpiece or anything, but it is worth seeing as a look into the art world. These sorts of movies just go to show why indie flicks are more interesting than anything that Hollywood can conceive. Lisa Cholodenko followed it up with the perplexing, but also worth seeing, "Laurel Canyon". Also starring Patricia Clarkson and Tammy Grimes.

After the trash of the past twenty or so years -- titles withheld to protect the incompetent -- someone finally makes a movie with a lesbian love angle that not only works, but shines. An exquisite performance by Ally Sheedy highlights this haunting study of a woman and the culture which ensnares her. A solid plot, likable -- if not perfect -- characters give flesh and blood to this dark character study. Added kudos to Patricia Clarkson; she took a character who tread the fine line between sympathetic and just plain pathetic and made Greta a complex, but not confusing nor inconsistent, woman. Well done, all around!