High Art

HIGH ART devastated me when I first watched it. I felt dazed and hollowed out like a broken pinata after everyone's gone home from the party. And over the years I thought about it now and then.Watching it again now, 20+ years later, what endures for me is the sense of authenticity. Lucy's art captures her life and this really was NYC in the 90s. Airless dark apartments with dingy bathrooms. Disaffected beautiful people hanging out doing coke everywhere. Saying you're going upstate, escaping the boiling heat of summer in the city. And people really talked like this, about Derrida and deconstruction, at least in some literary circles, oh yeah, it was most definitely a thing then. Even the old Merc that Lucy drives? Yes.But this movie also captures in a very real way the bewildering intensity of finding yourself in a messy love situation you didn't expect and feel somewhat guilty and conflicted over, on multiple confusing levels, but are going to do anyway. Stupid nervous conversations in kitchens. Crying in bed. The performances are so authentic. At the time I was mesmerized by Ally Sheedy and Patricia Clarkson but now all my nostalgia is struck by how young and earnest Syd is played and wonder if years later she ended up a prominent arts editor or if this was the moment she left the art world altogether. Given Cholodenko's career, I'm going to guess the former.Still, the world of this movie is supersaturated, just a little more beautiful and more, well, _more_ than real life. Like art photographs can be. Given that, there is some unavoidable film school self-referential/meta cleverness (even at one point, the editor-in-chief asks Syd, "Is this a critique?") and it is at times kind of heavy-handed. It is a debut work. But already it's masterfully dead-on in terms of tone, casting, and pacing. And it produced some beautiful stills.

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This is the directorial debut of Lisa Cholodenk who wrote this story as well. Lisa is an ambitious former assistant editor, who's gay, Jewish and living in the States. The two main characters, Lucy and Syd, represent Lisa and share similar life stories to her.Fate and coincidence create a love triangle which in turn produces art. The movie is a tad drawn out while bringing you into a haze of art, drugs and lesbian love as it follows a linear story line.You're drawn into Syd's life, overcoming personal and professional obstacles through courageous acts of self-discovery. Syd works hard to be promoted from a mere internship to become a lowly assistant photo editor. She's bright-eyed, very sweet and seemingly innocent, but surprisingly comfortable with hardcore drugs and bisexuality.Jealousy is an ongoing theme; Syd's live-in boyfriend resents her interest in Lucy. In turn, Lucy's German lover, Greta, instinctively feels that the love of her life is slipping away, falling for Syd in a dramatic fashion. Syd is the cute, ambitious assistant editor/art lover, renewing Lucy's spark for photography.Personal highlights of the film...Radha Mitchell (Syd), provides the movie with eye candy. She has an adorable baby face, with a gorgeous body that is tastefully displayed. You also get insight into drug addled, artistic lesbians while hearing a soundtrack that's meant to make you feel like you've just smoked a bit, yourself. Even though the movie explores lesbianism and drug use, it's simply about overcoming negativity and falling in love.I found this movie entertaining and worth seeing because of the themes and cast of characters that work well together while presented in a unique fashion.

if you have seen the movie "Gia" with Angelina Jolie this is very similar except the heroin addict is the photographer not the model, hence the title "High Art" and i loved it. its about time someone did a film about how a photographer deals with life. models just sit there. photographers don't just push a button on a camera and this movie grabs this point and doesn't let go until its bled dry.photographers want to make beautiful work but its not always that simple. its only a matter of time before a photographer falls for a model (and vice versa). the publishers fall in love with a photographers work but scorn your models. so why not say "F. you" to anyone who doent get it right. then, of course, you find an editor who "sees" your work as you intended and it gives you hope.glamor photographer is so very fickle. this movie examines or rather "deconstructs" art, the artist and the industry in such a tragic way that it left me feeling depressed but then i was filled with hope. this movie was about simple mistakes that can snowball into life or death situations.its like a blue print for photographers detailing what works, what doesn't work, but MOST importantly the stumbling blocks to look out for if you want to make it in this business without losing your mind or integrity. when so many people out there sell there soles for a chance at fame on a cover shot.

Pretentious and boring. Ally Sheedy character was very annoying, not sympathetic.

I did not like it. Too much drugs and not much story. The love between the two women could have been more better and romantic. I would like a refund please but instead of a return of money I would like to purchase another DVD in place of it. I would just give you the difference please. Let me know. It was not worth the viewing or money. Please negotiate with me on a different DVD. Thank you. Donna Ethier