Review of Surviving Picasso (1996) by Julian T — 06 Dec 2011

This movie isn't even about Picasso. It would have been nice to see Hopkins tackle an actual biopic, but this is a basterdized and misplaced attempt at an inaccurate romantic drama. Instead of watching a movie about Picasso and his evolution as an artist, we instead follow the lifestory of a coat riding girlfriend.

It is boring, tedious, unbearably overlong, and just focuses on the most unneccisary and trivial things in an extremely interesting and inspirational life. Suprisingly, the acting is a major flaw. Hopkins does not exhude the ere of Picasso, who while confident and sometimes boisterous, was often introverted and very sensitive.

McElhone is ok, but for some reason, she instead of Hopkins is counted on to carry the film, and her act wears pretty thin in a 2 hour plus movie. The direction is wandering, aimless and focusless, which given the plot, fits right in.

(That was not a complement). The script is heavy, and bogs down the already questionable interplay between the actors. I did enjoy a few things, particularly the interplay between Picasso and his friend/rival Henri Matesse, which was one of the few accurate points in the story.

Above all the acting/script/direction problems is the story. I can overlook some of the above weaknesses if I'm given an entertaining plot. But this is dry, self-important, going nowhere dribble. There is little to no time spent on Picasso as far as his artistic development, genius or inspiration.

There is little to no time spent on Picasso as an artist at all. Picasso the ARTIST is where a Picasso movie becomes worthwhile, not Picasso the womanizing deuche.