Review of High Art (1998) by Jessica D — 24 Feb 2010

What a breathtaking movie! It works on so many levels I don't know where to begin.

First, it is very, very dark, both in the dreariness of the apartments in which the vast majority of the movie takes place (think Rent on heroine), and in the overall tone of the movie.

Interplaying with this is the sheer beauty of the performances from the three lead actresses, the stunning photography (of Sheedy's character, not the cinematography - that remains dark) and the lightness (of set, of tone, of storyline) when the two main characters go upstate.

One can just feel the drudginess of both Lucy and Syd's existences, apparently so different and yet so similar: Syd, an aspiring junior editor at an artsy photography magazine, but who is, in reality, little more than an errand girl, living her dreary life in her dreary apartment with her dreary boyfriend, and Lucy, the has been superstar photographer with her has been, aging German heroine-addicted girlfriend. Both live a dreary life in a dreary apartment block.

And in the midst of all this, is a real love story, a relationship that one can tangibly feel building, rather than, as so often in independent and even big budget lesbian movies, just happens with zero chemistry. One can practically touch the chemistry between Lucy and Syd.

One senses that there is light at the end of the tunnel, a new existence and happiness for the pair of them; the ending, however is abrupt, predictable in such a drug infested movie that one should have seen it coming, yet one doesn't until it is too late. Which is too bad, because I could have watched it for the entire afternoon.

A wonderful, emotional, extremely well directed, shot, directed, written and acted - by three very beautiful actresses - and above all satisfying movie.