Never Met Picasso

I happened to stumble upon this oddly perfect little flick at a film festival in Boston. While it's essentially a gay film, I believe that, as a straight guy, I was as entertained by it as anyone else. It's laugh-out-loud funny at times and quite tender and sad at others. Alexis Arquette's performance is truly outstanding as is the Uncle's. And Kijak's directing is flawless. It's one of those films that you still find yourself talking about months later. Run out and rent it.

Never Met Picasso, written & directed by Stephen Kijak is a light comedy/avante garde type independent movie that deliver's a story about dysfunctional friend's and family centred around the art's/theatre community. Andy(Alexis Arquette) is a 30yr old painter without direction and languishing his time away at numerous parties and hanging-out with best-pal Lucy(Georgia Ragsdale)a neurotic sculptor. Entering a competition to win a trip to Africa for much needed inspiration. Other characters are Actress/mother Genna Magnus(Margot Kidder) performing in a dreadful stage-play The Naked Tenor(Hilarious, because it's sooo awful)and Uncle Alfred(Alvin Epstein) whom share's a little closet family secret with Andy's mother Genna. Other weird and wonderful characters round out the relationship's romantic or otherwise such as Lucy's girlfriend Ingrid whom channels the spirits of female surrealist's and the mercurial art/historian scholar Jerry(Don McKellar) whom pursue's Andy. In my opinon this is an entertaining well made film, however it isn't strong on plot or real depth. Performances are all excellent by cast and so too the work done by Mr.Kijak. It's a comedy and an interesting one at that but not of interest to a mass-public but for open-minded viewer's a worthy choice for general viewing. I own the video and have still enjoyed it after a few repeated viewing's. Recommended!

Having gay characters does not make for a gay film and having interesting characters does not always make for an interesting film.

Andrew Magnus (Alexis Arquette) is the last of a Boston arts family. Alfred, his aging uncle is a painter and Genna, his mother, is an avant-garde theatre performer. All three are gay but that seems to have no real point in the story. Andrew is blocked in his painting and without inspiration (not unlike this film) The characters have their interesting aspects but we don't learn enough about any of them to really care about them. There was a young man David, that both mother and uncle cared for but he died in Viet Nam, we hear very little about him. Instead we see and hear about the gallery crowd and the flamboyant artists that populate the Magnus' lives and all of the openings, exhibits and parties that occupy their time.

I may be a philistine and may be missing the higher meanings here, but I think it's just that there are no higher meanings here. The film stopped short of greatness and got tangled up with flash and form over any real substance.

An indie art-house masterpiece - lush and charming, wry and clever, like John Waters does Antonioni or something. A little low on plot, but makes up for it in ideas - very tender. The uncle is incredible, in fact the whole cast is great. I love Alexis Arquette, even his crazy appearance on reality TV, and he is very good here (and he is not in drag which is a twist!) It's probably not for everyone but I've been thinking about it for days and I'm sure it will stay with me for a long time. So refreshing to see a gay film like this. It's not just a "gay" film, but really artistic and human! There is no one coming-out. There are no tragic deaths. It it not camp (well, maybe a little...) And, hello, Margot Kidder! I think this film is a little gem. I had never heard of it before so I'm glad I stumbled upon it on Netflix.

The story of young artist andrew magnus, and how he fits into this world. Still living at home, he has received numerous rejections from schools. He's hitting a rough patch. In the various arts, andrew, his uncle alfred, and even his own mother have many things in common. Lots of shots of the leaves changing... fall in new england. We follow andrew, his family, and his friends around for about a week. Not a whole lot happens, but they are all interesting enough to entertain us for one hundred minutes. If you're in the right mood for it. Written and directed by stephen kijak. Oddly, arquette, kidder, and epstein all died within a couple years of each other. In spite of the fact that they were all years apart, age-wise.