Review of Surviving Picasso (1996) by Larry S — 27 Jan 2009

I've never quite understood how one can be expected to enjoy watching two hours of miserable people being miserable and making each other miserable (i.e., every film Woody Allen makes), but once in a while, I find myself doing exactly that.

"Surviving Picasso" definitely falls into that category. I can't seem to explain, even to myself, why I would recommend this film, but I do. James Ivory's direction is on par with his best work, and there were wonderful performances by the entire cast.

Perhaps these were the film's only saving graces, but that would be too simple. Despite watching these morally-underdeveloped people flouting even the most basic rules of human relationships and wounding each other so gravely, I remained interested in their plight.

I'm not sure how glowing a review this is, but in the end, I was absorbed in a story the filmmakers wanted to tell, and surely that was their goal. Thus, I must say this movie was "good," in that sense, but I could sure stand to watch a Bugs Bunny cartoon or two after it was over.

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