Art School Confidential - a great Sundance film

[jon1jt]

has anyone seen Art School Confidential? i thought it was going to be a goofy comedy, but there's also a whole lot of wit and creativity. i read somewhere that the movie is a fairly true depiction of the attitude of art school students. any thoughts on the film, please share!

[Mark F.]

I really want to see this but I don't know when it's going to be released in France. It's made by the same Zwigoff/Clowes team responsible for "Ghost World" if you haven't seen that you're really missing something. There were a few art class scenes in that which were hilarious.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162346/

Any film that takes the piss out of art school students has got to be fun.

[cuppajoe_9]

I didn't like it very much. I thought the main character lacked depth and was poorly acted, and I was extremely disappointed that the effeminate fashion major turned out to be gay after all (not because I'm a homophobe, but because it's not funny). Also, I am not nearly cynical enough to believe that there aren't some famous artists who get to be famous artists by virtue of actual talent. Just not my bag, I guess.

[jon1jt]

hey Mark F, thanks for recommending ghost world---i'll see if i can find it, sounds interesting! the special features includes interviews with the zwigoff/clowes team and it's evident they pour their hearts into their work and are class film makers.

cuppsjoe: i have to agree with you about the main character; he was a bit overdone with shyness as well. his female counterpart was simply gorgeous and her performance genuine. i also didn't see any point (or humor) in the room mate's gay admission. i liked the film major character who exerted some wild energy that helped the movie along.

thanks for sharing guys.

[stlukesguild]

I did (and still do) want to see this film... in spite of the fact that most of the film representations I have seen of the lives of artists have been complete crap... at least from my own experience as a practicing artist. By and large, I would have to guess that the reason for this is that is most instances artists lives don't make the most exciting drama. I can't say that I am all that interested in watching someone's paint dry.

There's a great story about a filmmaker and William DeKooning. Having talked DeKooning into allowing him to film his work in progress, the filmmaker shows up at the great Abstract Expressionists studio and procedes to film him as he works upon a large abstract painting. DeKooning attacks the canvas, slashing at it with his brush, scraping sections away, and reapplying the paint in a manner of some sort of frenzied dance. After a few hours the filmmaker has enough footage and thanks the artist for his time on his way out. About a month later the filmmaker runs into the painter while out walking in Central Park. DeKooning asks him about the film, and the filmmaker announces that that he has such great footage and the editing is coming along fine and so the film should be out soon. As the two are about to part, the filmmaker asks DeKooning, "Oh, by the way... how did that painting turn out?" DeKooning replies, "Oh that thing...? I threw it away the minute you left." The filmmaker is confused, and asks the painter why he would do such a thing. "You don't really believe I paint like that, do you?" DeKooning replies. "You remember that big cushy chair in the rear of my studio? I spend most of my time sitting there and staring at the painting, getting up every now and then to make a mark or two." The filmmaker then questions, "but then why did you paint the way you did while I was there?" to which DeKooning replies, "you don't really think anyone wants to watch me sitting in a chair for hours on end, do you?"

I guess its only logical that filmmakers focus upon exaggerated versions of artists sex lives, their mental anguish (after all, we're all angst-laden, right?), and their explosive and violent manner of crafting their art work. After all... who would really be all that thrilled by watching an artist sit and contemplate for hours... only to ruin the piece entirely. Of course... such did result in a rather brilliant... albeit quiet and slowly developing film which followed the painting process of one of the most meticulous painters, the great Spanish realist, Antonio Lopez-Garcia. I would greatly recommend El Sol del membrillo(The Sun of the Quince) to anyone. Beyond this film, one of the few portrayals of the art student that I really liked was that of Gunter Grass near the end of The Tin Drum as poor Oscar becomes an art school model and makes some rather interesting... and often hilarious... observations about it all.