High Art

High Art tells the story of an aspiring assistant editor at a photography magazine who by chance meets a brilliant photographer (Lucy), who, after much acclaim years earlier, has stopped being active in her art. The editor, Syd, is entranced by Lucy's nonchalant affect, the aura of her apartment, the steady stream of friends coming in and out, and most importantly, her photography. In turn, Lucy is attracted to Syd for her drive, her ambition, and her uncharted youth. Their mutual attraction rocks the drug-filled boat that is Lucy's flat, and a new love, and a resurgence of Lucy's art, is born. Whether they are allowed to thrive is up to Lucy, her long-time lover Greta, and all the other hangers-on.

The characters here don't feel like characters so much as real people who can make mistakes, who can try starting over, but who might have to deal with fate, (not to mention old habits and barely functioning relationships), along the way.

Ally Sheedy's performance here is truly amazing, mainly because it ends up not feeling like a performance at all. She plays each emotion with subtlety and depth and her timing and moods are right on the money, time after time. Rhada Mitchell is right there with her, giving a deeply moving performance as the young woman who sheds light on the shadowed Lucy only to question her reasons for doing so.

Gabriel Mann makes a welcome appearance as Syd's boyfriend, James. His James is the right mix of attractive, caring boyfriend, yet somehow dimmer counterpart to the magnetic Lucy. He may love Syd, but he can live without her. Lucy's pull is stronger, she needs Syd more. And the love she offers is real.

I give this movie five stars. Does well with multiple viewings, so a good one to own. Recommended for those who are old enough to not confuse the drug use in the film for glamour. Just the opposite.

One of the things I liked most about this video is what I thought of as its authenticity. There are several sex scenes that have the feel of real people in bed. If anything, they were so real that they went on a little too long but the reality of attraction, shyness, conversation, and exploration deepened the characterizations of the people involved. Perhaps this is the intention of the screenwriter, the long and lingering views of the relationship. There were also long and lingering views of drug taking and again I felt they were a little too much. The film though seemed to be trying to be an art form in itself and although the two star's performances were excellent, some of the minor characters just didn't quite seem real, such as Ally Sheedy's mother or the druggie girlfriend. The mood of the video is melancholy, the pace slow, the acting uneven. But for what it was, I enjoyed it.