# High Art (1998)

### reviewed by
Nathaniel R. Atcheson

    High Art (1998)

Director: Lisa Cholodenko Cast: Ally Sheedy, Radha Mitchell, Patricia Clarkson, Tammy Grimes, Gabriel Mann, William Sage Screenplay: Lisa Cholodenko Producers: Dolly Hall, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Susan A. Stover Runtime: 101 min. US Distribution: October Films Rated R: strong sexuality, drug use, language

By Nathaniel R. Atcheson (nate@pyramid.net)

High Art is a story about women, told by a woman. It's not loud and sentimental, but quiet, subtle, and intelligent. There aren't a lot of films like this, so this one naturally feels different from most stories about women. Our protagonist is Syd (Radha Mitchell), an assistant editor for a photography magazine called Frame. She's a young woman who is deeply interested in her own job -- we can see the intensity in her eyes as she gazes upon photographs that she loves and admires. She lives with her boyfriend, James (Gabriel Mann), and upstairs lives Lucy Berliner (Ally Sheedy).

Lucy is a retired photographer, and Syd is instantly entranced by her work. Just as she's learning of Lucy's artistic abilities, she also learns of her personal habits. Lucy is a drug addict, but, more importantly, she's a lover of women -- her girlfriend is a crazy low-voiced German named Greta (Patricia Clarkson). Syd convinces Lucy to come out of retirement, Lucy grasps on to Syd's ambition to give herself energy, and the two women head towards a relationship that could only be successful in a perfect world.

A friend of mine, who occasionally sees the art house films with me, made a valid point the other day: it seems like every art house film has something to do with homosexuality. I wouldn't say *every* art house film does, but the issue is more completely explored in independent films than it is in mainstream pictures. High Art does explore the issue, but it explores it from the rare perspective of a neophyte woman, who has only been with men in her life. Perhaps that's what I find so interesting about this film -- most movies about lesbians glorify and romanticize the sex, as if to appeal strictly to straight men, but the love scenes in High Art aren't the slightest bit arousing. They are as disturbing for the viewer as they are for the characters who don't quite know what they're doing.

Writer/director Lisa Cholodenko is a skilled storyteller. I love her direction in this film -- it's soft, and so slow that it almost feels motionless. Cholodenko observes the beauty of the female figure, but she doesn't exploit it. There are moments in this film during which Syd does not look glamorous or stunning -- in fact, most people would say she looks like a wreck -- but there's something in Cholodenko's vision and in the pictures that Lucy takes of Syd that capture everything subtle about Syd's figure. Mitchell is a beautiful actress, and manages to convey beauty without ever looking fake or flashy. At the same time, Lucy, despite her bony figure and dim eyes, comes across as oddly desirable.

The film isn't elusive, but it doesn't come right out and tell us what it's about. It works on many levels -- in some scenes, it's a rather acidic attack of the vicious photography industry. More often, it seems present primarily to diagram the unique relationship between Syd and Lucy -- the mentor/student dynamic that arises through admiration and progresses through desire. The development of the characters in this sense is well-orchestrated by Cholodenko: it's believable that Syd could fall for a woman like Lucy; at the same time, it's interesting that Lucy, in her detached and foggy existence, finds someone that she truly cares about. High Art isn't a pleasant film, but this relationship feels oddly pure.

Cholodenko does owe a lot to her performers. Mitchell, an actress with whom I'm not familiar, is very good here. Many of the subtle character details I mentioned above are noticeable because of her talent as a performer. The first love scene between the two women truly showcases her work, and illustrates perfectly the way her mental desires do not coincide with her physical needs. Sheedy, on the other hand, has never been so honest and down-to-earth as she is here. Neither actress has any scenes that could be used as clips for Oscar nominations, but that's the point -- this is a film that relies entirely on subtlety.

The very last sequence is the best in the film, and it brings the story together with all of its themes. It's not painless, but it's emotionally satisfying in a way few movies are. My only complaint with High Art is that it's almost too subtle for its own good -- I could see many people walking away from the film not knowing what to make of it. In fact, most of what I think the film is about is pure speculation. I do like to speculate, but I'm not sure that Cholodenko has given us enough guidance as to what to make of her picture. But this aside, there is something special about a film that can take a subject with so much baggage and still do new and interesting things with the premise. Because of this, I can assure you that High Art lives up to its title.

    *** out of ****
    (7/10, B)

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               Nathaniel R. Atcheson

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