Interesteg
What makes it different from others?
PiraBit
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Lela
The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.
bratkievich
Quirky little film about a seemingly aimless temp worker that starts working at an art gallery. Polly, the main character, is delineated in detail: lovable but mildly exasperating in her cluelessness and lack of social skills (you are constantly concerned that she's gonna embarrass herself and, quite often, she does) although she's a bit of a stereotype (the innocent, pure, slightly clueless person with a golden heart and the best intentions that gets herself and others into trouble). She's lonely too, and this detail is wonderfully depicted in a scene which shows her preparing some food and eating by herself, with only her cat as company. Her hobby is photography and she hopes that her boss will like her photographs, with heart-breaking results when Gabrielle tells her, without knowing that they're Polly's, that her photos are "trite made flesh." The pain she feels will speak volumes to anyone who fancied him/herself an artist only to face the scorn or disinterest of others. However, the truthfulness of this moment is slightly marred by the ending in which Gabrielle seems to realize that her photos are indeed good; this seems like too much of a tacked-on happy ending. Gabrielle's character is not so well delineated, although it's quite poignant to see a person who is fascinated by and knows a lot about art and yet knows that she has no talent herself.
fedor8
An intelligent and unusual "art house"-type movie about a modest and eccentric dreamer (McCarthy). This low-key comedy melodrama isn't pretentious, though; quite to the contrary - it makes fun of pretentious bull***t-talk that takes place in the pop-art scene. The comments two of these "art experts" make while evaluating a series of paintings is very funny and effective; stuff like "his boyish bravado has a certain charm", "he is somewhat incapacitated by his emotions", "New York is wild for his oblique pragmatism", "the static structure is offset by his whimsical sociological references", "there is a hopefulness in his contextural destruction", or "the lack of resolution of his themes almost adds to a vaguely literal internal transformation of the subject" (my favourite). And while the two are spouting off this verbal malarkey, McCarthy eavesdrops on their conversation and naively nods. McCarthy is perfectly cast, totally convincing, and easily the best in an obscure cast. Two plot twists at the end. An interesting soundtrack.If you're interested in reading my extensive satire of modern art, "Picasso", contact me by e-mail.
harry-lin
I first saw this Canadian film when it was released in 1987. I was a college undergraduate, and the film has never left my memory since then. The movie is original, startling, lovely, hilarious, and thought-provoking.It's a shame that it hasn't been made available on DVD, but I read on the director's official Web site (patriciarozema.com) that Miramax Films is going to re-release the movie. That's exciting! Perhaps they'll also release it on DVD. (Miramax, if you're reading this -- put it out on DVD!)If you ever have a chance to see this film, see it.
sibie
The wonder of this film, like one of the paintings it features, can't be described in words. It is pure magic in the most abstract form! One can't help but adore Polly's originality (Sheila McCarthy). This is a fantastically crafted and acted film. It will trigger your imagination and place a smile on your face. After the film is over, you won't be able to stop dreaming. I can't watch it enough! It is very sad that it is no longer in print (at least last I checked) and I am very lucky to have purchased it in the Laser Disc format when I did. I have been a fan of this film since I was 20 and am still a fan 14 years
