High Art

High Art is a film with minimal budget that made up for it with maximum talent. Made during the indie/Sundance film festival boom of the 1990’s, High Art is an incredibly polished, precise piece of work.

High Art is about the relationship between Syd, who desires to be a magazine editor and Lucy, a drug addicted photographer. The two women first meet as they are neighbours in the same apartment. When Syd comes to investigate whether Lucy’s apartment is the reason her ceiling is leaking, she is instantly taken with Lucy’s photographs. Syd then suggests Lucy to her bosses at the magazine and they agree to give Lucy the cover. However, Lucy, who had been the next big thing ten years ago says she will only take the job if Syd works as her editor. The two women grow closer and eventually their relationship turns romantic. However, Lucy’s drug use and mental health wreaks havoc on both her relationship with Syd and the magazine assignment the two women are working on.

The best thing about High Art is how intentional it is. Writer/director Lisa Cholodenko certainly thought about every line of dialogue and every frame of this film. She polished her script and film into something truly extraordinary. I’ve been on a losing streak with WLW films recently so it was delightful to see one where every minute of the film is put to good use.

The dialogue stands out as a particular star here. What’s great about it is that it both advances the plot and tells us about the characters. There are no exposition dumps about character backstories or monologues where characters tell us what their deal is. Instead, this information is conveyed naturally through dialogue and the film’s visual storytelling. What a treat to find a movie that understands this!

High Art’s depth extends to its core relationship. This isn’t a movie that’s just about a romantic relationship between two women. There’s other stuff going on. Both characters have wants and character traits that don’t necessarily serve the core relationship but serve making them feel like real people. In contrast to all the films I see where even the lead characters don’t feel like real people, High Art’s cast of characters all seem like real people right down to those characters who only have a few scenes.

High Art is an incredibly successful indie movie. It is well-written, well-shot and has good performances all around. High Art is more than just a love story, it is a film chock full of character, conflict and yes, some lesbian love. What more could you want?

Overall rating: 8/10

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