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Art School Confidential
If you're feeling depressed, don't see this movie. It has nothing good to say about our species. If you're a cynic and enjoy having your cynicism validated, this movie might be a fun time.
I've never much enjoyed the sort of character who is the lead in Art School. He's shy, socially awkward, introverted, knows he's "better" than most of the numbnuts who are getting the girls and the rewards. In summary, that sort of character is too much like me and it's painful to watch. ;-)
Art School is big on the Harsh Truth. And that may be its one redeeming feature. That and a nude Sophia Myles. She was very good in the otherwise mediocre Tristan and Isolde and she played a completely different character here with equal competence.
But back to the harsh truth. Jerome, the lead character and aspiring artist at the Art School, watches in disbelief and later disgust as inferior (in his opinion and mine) artists are praised and win accolades while his efforts go mostly unnoticed or are harshly criticised. At the same time, he's infatuated with dreamy nude model, Audrey who is friendly but gravitates toward the new "talent" on campus, hunky Jonah; whose work Jerome sees as amateurish crap (and it is.) Once again, poor Jerome loses out to a no talent Neanderthal.
There's a brief episode (similar to Inside the Actors Studio with James Lipton) where an Art School graduate who has "made it" appears on stage. He's obviously a prick and is asked by one student why he's an ass. His answer is basically "I've made it and now I can afford to be myself." No one seems embarrassed about being an ass in this movie. And most all of the characters qualify. Even Jerome, who is mostly just an ineffectual loser sinks to another level of despair at the end. And it's only when his innocence is gone and he joins the ranks of the notorious, does he achieve success. Good guys really do finish last. ;-)
There's another character and artist who has long accepted the "world sucks" view and is now a drunken slob and a kind of sage to aspiring young philosophers of world suckism. More of that Harsh Truth emits from the mouth of the old philosopher. But really, nearly everyone in the movie is an adherent of Suckism to varying degrees. If you're an optimist and your glass is always half full, this is not the movie for you. ;-)
But anyhow, John Malcovich is here and he's always interesting to watch. Sophia Myles I believe has better things in store for her. Max Minghella, who plays Jerome is a sad looking kid with sensitive good looks (making it a little hard to believe the virgin story) but it's revealed that he's very picky about his women (until he meets the lovely Audrey.)
So, cynics rejoice and those who love feel good movies with happy endings, mourn.
Rating: C- I'm a cynic but I just can't feel good about cynical movies
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My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.
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But I see yer point.
