High Art

High Art

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Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 8-FEB-2005
Media Type: DVD

Syd (Radha Mitchell) is an editor at a painfully pretentious art magazine; by chance, she becomes acquainted with lesbian photographer Lucy (Ally Sheedy) and her weirdo German girlfriend (Patricia Clarkson, in a strange Dietrich-like role). Syd becomes captivated with Lucy and her work and, smelling a career move, offers to feature her in the next issue of the magazine. The two become attracted, but their relationship is fraught with perils--Syd loses her rather square boyfriend, Lucy's girlfriend takes a hike, the avaricious management at the magazine pressures Syd, and, most importantly, the pair begins to travel down the road of heroin addiction. Besides the lesbian theme, High Art addresses such subtexts as what an artist will (or won't) be willing to do for recognition, and what price that recognition carries. High Art is a remarkably honest work, painful at times but understated and thoughtful. It does an excellent job of portraying the heroin-induced torpor of Lucy and her bohemian friends as they lie around and become consumed with the stuff. It's a cautionary tale, a sincere love story, a reflection on the nature of art, and a "lesbian film" for which the lesbianism is integral but not part of an overriding agenda. Sheedy is excellent, as is Mitchell in a very expressive role. It's far from being a feel-good movie, but High Art undeniably has some power behind it that will stick with you past the closing credits. --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Reviews

High Art

Reviewed by Gregory, 2010-03-06

One reason to why I bought this film was because it was very arty and the narrative on the back of the DVD cover looked intriguing. The film looks into issues such as sexuality and love which is explored throughout the movie. It is explored in a realist way because of the directors slow paced methods of filmmaking.

One reason to why I did not give it a 5 star rating was because im very strict with film ratings. When i review films i normally give them no higher than 6/10.

Sucks.

Reviewed by Artistic Mind, 2009-12-29

Unrealistic, weird, and boring. Classy drug addicts, snobby artists, dull sex, and dull everything. The cover of the dvd is the most interesting part about this movie. Seriously. Not worth it.

Skillful Direction & Great Performance Exclusively by Women's efforts

Reviewed by Julien Kujo, 2009-08-22

We are on 21st century. For past 5000 Years Women's place in societal concept badly needed to improve. It was so obvious that men who had always wanted control it for the interest of themselves. We need to let the entire society including children to understand this important issue as well.

I definitely have enjoyed and praise director's character focused cinematography. enabled by excellent acting skills of the two captivating casts portraying honest sense of humanity. I am strongly hoping that blessing days to come really soon for women lovers where they do not have to use drug or alcohol to cope with the still occasionally cruel world. It made me so sad that Lucy died before the two women to have chance to enjoy the rewards of their work. However at least I felt better that there were no scene of violence nor intimidation against women lovers

The time has come for women to re-evaluate the societal concept of women's place for their own good, success and happiness. There are many areas women can perform significantly better than men including Art and Science. It is unfortunate that men has denied women to explore their potentials and opportunities all the way along until just recently. It is not nothing wrong for some women to totally ignore men and find their potential of their own amongst the exclusively own sex considering never-ending societal prejudice against them.

Women were shut out from opportunity to explore intellectual world. It is highly likely all men were fearful of women's innate social skill embedded in their gene from our mammal ancestors. Prehistoric men have already witnessed the intensity and wisdom of communal love between female lions. Hence cultural segregation between sex began arising out from intrinsic fear present in men's psyche particularly amongst those uneducated and ignorant of humanity.

It is not accurate to say that homosexuality has been forbidden in most of cultures amongst Eurasian continent. In the beginning of Etruscan and Chinese civilisation, women were often valued less than a household animal. Hence women never even had their right of their own to love who they desired It was particularly true in ancient Chinese Empire. When a woman was found next to any man of high birth, She was immediately beheaded accused of being a parasite or vermin and replaced by a catamite. That inhuman mentality still seems to be intact with some Asian men's mind. Fortunately the replacing women with catamites did not occur in Japan, but all Japanese have committed similar crimes down the history during the mediaeval age discarding new born female infants in favour of male infants. Truth is that privileged men exercised homosexuality rather openly but women never had enough rights of exercising no matter what they preferred to do. Israel and China both have a long history of Phallocentric homosexuality goes back about to 2000BC and 1600BC respectively In fact they do have a long history of homosexuality following NearEast, Greece, Middle East, and India. I believe that the tradition spreadded via Silk Road from Etruria (ancient Tuscany) branched off to Israel and Egypt. then to Sparta, then Turk, then India and to China. However, those were Phallocentric homosexuality including most distasteful and bizarre catamites. In contrast to contiguous Eurasian continent, Japan has had long history of Parthenocentric homosexuality amongst noble born court attendants and they developed highly intellectual feminist scholar of their own. Contrarily to common beliefs, before the paternalistic authoritarianism ever had any chance to come in effect in Japan, there were four contiguous centuries, a long historic period called the Heï An Era (794 - 1185 A.D. meaning the time for peace and tranquility) where contemporary feminist scholars including art, poetry, and literature flourished in Japanese Imperial Court. It is often considered the peak of the Japanese civilization. I personally view societal harm from Phallocentric homosexuality is so disastrous beyond comparison with Parthenocentric homosexuality. Unfortunately Chinese men usually do not wish to give a same degree of freedom nor intellectual opportunities to women. In fact Parthenocentric homosexuality controls unnecessary growth of population hence it is beneficial in term of ecology. Pinecloud, Palo Alto, California

Intense

Reviewed by Daniel Raphael, 2009-07-09

There is no "message" in this film (maybe an implicit one about the use of hard drugs), but the story is not meaningless. This is a plot based on being with/not-with de facto partners, segueing across typical gender lines, with four people (three of them women) at the center of the story. While the ultimate resolution was not what I wanted, it was believable and poignant.

If I were reviewing this a la "socialist realism," I'd give this film a low rating because it doesn't provide an uplifting, socially constructive message, etc., etc. However, as a matter of portraying the complexity and wantonness of human emotions, this well-acted movie is a winner.

Do you feel like something intense tonight? There's no sex (it's so obvious that "the lesbian issue" is the only thing producing an "R" rating) in the film, though a fair amount of lovely sensuality. The focus is not on sex, but the choices people make, including choices that are self-destructive.

A film worth viewing, if you're in the mood for a dose of difficult reality and very mixed emotions.

EXCELLENT !!!

Reviewed by Jennifer Roberts, 2009-04-01

This film catches Ally Sheedy at her Best. She is so Brilliant as Lucy. The role just seemed to fit Ally perfectly. Radha Mitchell is so young and vibrant playing opposite her. A very wise choice of cast to play off of each other so easily. Cinematically speaking the entire film was just full of visual treats for the artistic mind to enjoy. Ally Sheedy is such a Professional and Natural Performer. She was born to play this role. I just wish she was more involved with either the Independent or even Mainstream Film industries, so that we can enjoy more of her Great Acting abilities...I would recommend this movie to anyone and everyone who loves a "One-of-a-Kind" performance..