Main Cast: Ally Sheedy, Radha Mitchell, Patricia Clarkson, Tammy Grimes, Gabriel Mann
Release Year: 1998
Country: US
Run Time: 105 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Lisa Cholodenko wrote and directed this lesbian-themed drama, winner of the 1998 Sundance Film Festival's Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. Ambitious photography magazine associate editor Syd (Radha Mitchell) has a ho-hum relationship with James (Gabriel Mann). Investigating a ceiling leak, she enters the apartment of her neighbor, retired photographer Lucy Berliner (Ally Sheedy), who lives with former Fassbinder actress Greta (Patricia Clarkson), a heroin addict. The friendship between the worldly Lucy and the naive, insecure Syd ripens into an affair, one destined to change the lives of both women. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Review
A rather draggy melodrama bolstered by some superb acting, Lisa Cholodenko's debut effort nevertheless has its finger on the pulse of the disaffected New York artist, and when High Art explores that walk of life, it is indelible. Ally Sheedy gives a fierce, subtly hypnotic performance in the lead role, her haunted expressions never before put to better use on the big screen. Her lesbian photographer character is anything but a stereotype, and Sheedy gives the role amazing reserves of feeling without resorting to unnecessary pathos. Radha Mitchell is rather wan as her chief love interest, but Patricia Clarkson is mordantly funny and surprisingly affecting as her German lover and drug-fiend pal. If High Art took itself a little less seriously, it might have been more involving as a whole, but Cholodenko has fashioned an interesting tale filled with recognizable truths about the nature of drug addiction and the uneasy effect it has on a community of artists. In an unforeseen comeback role, Sheedy raised quite a few eyebrows for her work here, no place more so than at the 1999 Independent Spirit Awards, where she surprisingly picked up the Best Actress trophy and gave a lengthy, profanity-laden speech about -- among other things -- her resurrection from straight-to-video fodder. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
Bill Sage - Arnie; Ahn Duong - Dominique; David Thornton - Harry
Credit
Caryn Marcus - Art Director, Lori E. Seid - Associate Producer, Kerry Barden - Casting, Billy Hopkins - Casting, Suzanne Smith - Casting, Victoria Farrell - Costume Designer, Kelly McKraig - First Assistant Director, Lisa Cholodenko - Director, Amy E. Duddleston - Editor, Shudder to Think - Composer (Music Score), Tracy McKnight - Musical Direction/Supervision, Bernhard Blythe - Production Designer, Tami Reiker - Cinematographer, Dolly Hall - Producer, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte - Producer, Susan A. Stover - Producer, Noah Vivekanand Timan - Sound/Sound Designer, Lisa Cholodenko - Screenwriter
While their other motion picture soundtrack, First Love, Last Rites, contains more traditionally pop-structured songs, their soundtrack for the film High Art is much more of an authentic movie score. The compositions are mostly ambient, with gentle washes of synthesizers and laid-back hip-hop beats creating airy textures -- in other words, a complete departure musically for Shudder to Think. Their goal was to create music that would baffle the listener into figuring out which instrument was playing what, and they've easily succeeded. "Battle Soaked (Amnesian Mix)" is a Prince-sounding funk workout, while "She Might Be Waking Up" is the only track on the soundtrack that contains vocals and lyrics. Two other bands contribute tracks similar in style -- "The Gavial" by Reservoir and "That's Fat" by JeepJazz Project, which fit in perfectly with the Shudder material. Highly recommended to fans of ambient and Shudder to Think. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
Sydney (or simply 'Syd'), age 24, is a woman who has her whole life mapped out in front of her. Living with longtime boyfriend James, and working her way up at the respected high-art photography magazine Frame, Syd has desires and frustrations that seem typical and manageable. But when a crack in her ceiling springs a leak and Syd finds herself knocking on the door of her upstairs neighbor, a chance meeting suddenly takes her on a new path.
Opening the door to an uncharted world for Syd is Lucy Berliner, a renowned photographer, enchanting, elusive, and curiously retired. Now 40, Lucy lives with her once glamorous, heroin-addicted German girlfriend Greta, and plays host to a collection of hard-living party kids. Before Syd's caught her breath, she's caught Lucy's fascination and is drawn into the center of Lucy's strangely alluring life upstairs.
When Syd's bosses at Frame catch wind of her acquaintance with Lucy, they suddenly take interest in Syd and pressure her to bring Lucy to the magazine. Soon a working relationship develops between the two and a project is underway which promises a second chance for Lucy's career. But as Syd and Lucy's collaboration draws them closer together, their working relationship turns sexual and the lines between love and professionalism suddenly blur. As Syd slowly discovers the darker truths of Lucy's life on the edge, she is forced to confront her own hunger for recognition and the uncertain rewards of public esteem.
