The Egyptian writer and intellectual (Ahmad Amin) said once that "our great pains make us great". This nice independent movie reminded me of this aphorism, extremely.
It's a very simple story about an artist who lives hard life; the worst of it is being insecure for all the time. The lack of success, the absence of self-confidence, and the stumbling to find the true unique art in him--pushes such a character to compel his love to leave him, as he got nothing to present to her. He had to face his pains ultimately to discover the real artist in him, to be close to the great thing that he longs for, or already has.
For most of the time, I suspected that this fellow would find a magical lamp that could solve all of his problems. Or that the movie would sink under these problems horrifically. However, I was happily wrong. It delicately brings out the case of anxiety which young artist, like this, suffers from.
There is a sense of simplicity that overwhelms the whole movie beautifully. It shows its experience without a whit of intricacy or allegation. Actually, it attacks the allegation heavily; watch that carefully with the surprising confrontation of (Ray), the landlord, near the end, or through the character of the lead at one of the post-ending scenes. Look also at the 2 critics who just appear to speak about deeper changes, while they do nothing but sitting and speaking! They miss the unstoppable chances to feel life and live its pains to discover themselves, and recreate these pains into art / great changes. They're the deadest people that this movie exhibits, and the total opposite of its lead. It's what makes the movie, as a whole, one of few anti-allegation movies.
The comedy, and the romance; everything was sensitive, and expressive. It had some truthful details, sweet atmosphere, and a lovable diurnal feel about it.
This cast did its job finely. I watched many independent movies where the performance was discreditable, but not this time. (Mark Ruffalo) understood his character; being between the desperate young artist and the slapstick performer (let's thank this script for some of the character's genuine funny moments). Observe well how he says "sorry" to his love at the final scene only by his eyes!
(Beth Ulrich) is an exceptional creature. OH MY GOD, she's god's gift to movies. There is poetry between her short tufts and her shoulders. In other words, she's too charming, giving this movie the magic it seeks, and most of all: talented. She was a delicious smile all the time, mirroring not only her character's loveliness but also ingenuousness and fondness of life, assuring that there are still people like that in our life! Also I loved the scene, after her lover turned his back to her, in which she goes and asks him to spend the night with her friends, and he just replays languidly through half-opened door; her face's reaction there was perfect as refusing, not understanding, and blaming his act all at once. Sure you'll ask yourself repeatedly where is such an actress in Hollywood movies or even else?!
Though, there are a few shortcomings along the way. For instance, the movie didn't use the building's diverse characters well enough. The lead's interaction with those characters, so what he would learn from them, wasn't well made, or made in the first place. The situation of "the lead delivering pizza and got mocked at in the elevator" recurred tastelessly. As always, I hated the nudity, even if it was swift. Plus I didn't like the closing credits' shots; I think that was made to show the continuation of life after the events' end, as a factor that might fill it with reality, avoiding labeling it as just romantic dream. But they were mostly silly, and some of them had been done in sort of self-references that I couldn't understand!
The original title, (Life/Drawing), says it all. As if life is just pain and creation out of that pain; so no wonder when half of the word "painting" is "pain"! It's more profound and significant than (Apartment 12) which I believe the movie-makers accepted it as more commercial and inspiring; which gives you the feeling that it's a Horror or a Thriller!
Finally, while (Ruffalo) blasted off into Hollywood movies, making a decent career throughout the 2000s; the movie's heroine (Beth Ulrich), so the movie's director and co-writer (Dan Bootzin), didn't make anything after it (till 2009). Well, life is pain, they said it themselves. But I see that they lived that pain too much up till now!
It's a very simple story about an artist who lives hard life; the worst of it is being insecure for all the time. The lack of success, the absence of self-confidence, and the stumbling to find the true unique art in him--pushes such a character to compel his love to leave him, as he got nothing to present to her. He had to face his pains ultimately to discover the real artist in him, to be close to the great thing that he longs for, or already has.
For most of the time, I suspected that this fellow would find a magical lamp that could solve all of his problems. Or that the movie would sink under these problems horrifically. However, I was happily wrong. It delicately brings out the case of anxiety which young artist, like this, suffers from.
There is a sense of simplicity that overwhelms the whole movie beautifully. It shows its experience without a whit of intricacy or allegation. Actually, it attacks the allegation heavily; watch that carefully with the surprising confrontation of (Ray), the landlord, near the end, or through the character of the lead at one of the post-ending scenes. Look also at the 2 critics who just appear to speak about deeper changes, while they do nothing but sitting and speaking! They miss the unstoppable chances to feel life and live its pains to discover themselves, and recreate these pains into art / great changes. They're the deadest people that this movie exhibits, and the total opposite of its lead. It's what makes the movie, as a whole, one of few anti-allegation movies.
The comedy, and the romance; everything was sensitive, and expressive. It had some truthful details, sweet atmosphere, and a lovable diurnal feel about it.
This cast did its job finely. I watched many independent movies where the performance was discreditable, but not this time. (Mark Ruffalo) understood his character; being between the desperate young artist and the slapstick performer (let's thank this script for some of the character's genuine funny moments). Observe well how he says "sorry" to his love at the final scene only by his eyes!
(Beth Ulrich) is an exceptional creature. OH MY GOD, she's god's gift to movies. There is poetry between her short tufts and her shoulders. In other words, she's too charming, giving this movie the magic it seeks, and most of all: talented. She was a delicious smile all the time, mirroring not only her character's loveliness but also ingenuousness and fondness of life, assuring that there are still people like that in our life! Also I loved the scene, after her lover turned his back to her, in which she goes and asks him to spend the night with her friends, and he just replays languidly through half-opened door; her face's reaction there was perfect as refusing, not understanding, and blaming his act all at once. Sure you'll ask yourself repeatedly where is such an actress in Hollywood movies or even else?!
Though, there are a few shortcomings along the way. For instance, the movie didn't use the building's diverse characters well enough. The lead's interaction with those characters, so what he would learn from them, wasn't well made, or made in the first place. The situation of "the lead delivering pizza and got mocked at in the elevator" recurred tastelessly. As always, I hated the nudity, even if it was swift. Plus I didn't like the closing credits' shots; I think that was made to show the continuation of life after the events' end, as a factor that might fill it with reality, avoiding labeling it as just romantic dream. But they were mostly silly, and some of them had been done in sort of self-references that I couldn't understand!
The original title, (Life/Drawing), says it all. As if life is just pain and creation out of that pain; so no wonder when half of the word "painting" is "pain"! It's more profound and significant than (Apartment 12) which I believe the movie-makers accepted it as more commercial and inspiring; which gives you the feeling that it's a Horror or a Thriller!
Finally, while (Ruffalo) blasted off into Hollywood movies, making a decent career throughout the 2000s; the movie's heroine (Beth Ulrich), so the movie's director and co-writer (Dan Bootzin), didn't make anything after it (till 2009). Well, life is pain, they said it themselves. But I see that they lived that pain too much up till now!