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| Movie Review: Alice Neel Alternate Title: Painting to a Different Drummer
Story: What makes a documentary
film rise above the rest? Clinically, it should present its subject
matter (political, social, or historical) in a factual and informative
manner accompanied by news films, photos or interviews. This wonderful
film about the painter, Alice Neel does all of that
and oh so very much more. Alice Neel had a personal artistic vision. She
lived in turbulent times (1900 to 1984), through emotional stress, poverty,
passions of the heart and soul, loss and mental disease - yet she continued
to paint. She stayed true to her style as a portrait artist while others
celebrated the abstract, the Pop, the Op and the au courant. Her grandson, Andrew Neel paints
this portrait of his amazing grandmother with his camera his lens. Interviews
with her two adult sons are revealing and personal. We get to see actual
footage of Alice Neel painting and playing to the camera. She was not
recognized until very late in her life and was celebrated with a huge
show at the Whitney Museum of Art shortly before her death. Go to see this film if you can and be all the
more richer for experiencing it. To see some of her wonderful soulful portraits
go to: http://www.aliceneel.com/main.html Acting: Not a valid category in documentary films.
Predilection: I love films about artists and I am
a big Alice Neel fan.
Critters: Pigeons.
Food: Bread Crumbs.
Soundtrack: Appropriate
Opening Titles: Titles come directly after a short
sequence of us watching Alice Neel painting a portrait.
Visual Art: An astounding number of her pieces, often
juxtaposed with the person in the painting.
Theater Audience: Pretty crowded.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: 0
Drift Factor: I could not take my eyes off of the
screen for a moment.
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: Why not?
Big Screen or Rental: I like films about artists.
For some other good ones try renting: My Architect, Vincent and
Theo, Basquiat, Pollock, I Shot Andy Warhol, Crumb, Artemisia, Surviving
Picasso and Frida
Length: 90 minutes
LOBO HOWLS: 9
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