Surviving Picasso

source: Surviving Picasso

Trailer—Surviving Picasso

Surviving Picasso

A closer look at the controversial life of world famous painter Picasso. A guy who's only intentions are women - a guy to whom marriage doesn't mean anything. The movie isn't too great at all. Actually many times it's boring. But there's a good reason to watch it: Anthony Hopkins, one of the greatest actors alive. Vote: 6 out of 10.

subjective, partial, the life behind his work of a great artist. seductive for the performance of Anthony Hopkins, important for define the sins of one of the significant names of the art from the XX century. but far to be a docudrama. only a slice from a long and not comfortable life. the film remains remarkable for acting and for the structure of story. for the trip in a dark zone and for the science of Anthony Hopkins to be Picasso in each detail. and this is the basic virtue of this film. to recreate a world. impressive, ambiguous, charming in a way. a portrait. profound subjective.that is all .

From the title, you would think that this was a story of terrible abuse and torture. In reality, the heroine has a pretty nice life with Picasso. No real abuse - the dude could be a pain, selfish, and insensitive, but who isn't? Picasso was kind to his other 'families,' and sure, he kept other women around, but if I was Picasso, I would too. If my wife didn't like it, she could just leave. I'm Picasso, I can do whatever I want. The movie was well acted but the story was boring. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen but it didn't. It was well filmed, locations were okay. There should have been more nudity because I'm sure the real Picasso had a studio full of lovely naked girls. That would have made the movie more interesting.

Magnificently crafted exploration of the question, how does a seeming despot generate such passion and devotion from the women around him. The high points are many but what makes the greatest mark is the flawless timing, throughout; then, of course, Hopkins completely lives the lead while McElhone preserves the central conundrum, the impossibility of the relationship(s). Forget the Picasso figure - apart from forming a setting and contributing the element of fame (I almost added "genius" but that's absolutely irrelevant, too), any similar figure would do, quite irrelevant to the point of the story which is to amplify the tension to be found in varying degrees in every one of our relationships. Extremely stimulating and provoking - not a must-see for 80s feminists.

It's 1943 Paris. Pablo Picasso (Anthony Hopkins) is selling paintings to the Nazis and being the famed artist. Françoise Gilot (Natascha McElhone) meets him as an admirer and becomes his long-time mistress. It's turbulent affair and she would have two kids with him. Her grandmother (Joan Plowright) warns her. The other women in his life includes his bitter wife Olga, Dora Maar (Julianne Moore), and Marie-Thérèse who has a daughter with him. This is the wrong subject for Merchant Ivory. Their safe harbor is mannered people trying to restrain their inner turmoil. Picasso's turmoil is not interior. It is exterior. This movie needs flamboyance. Picasso is excessive in every ways. This contrast completely with the reserved nature of a Merchant Ivory movies. Hopkins has the acting power but the movie struggles to harness that power.

Anthony Hopkins is a very gifted actor,nobody can deny,but ,he was beginning to do any job going:playing Hannibal,Nixon and Picasso,it's much ,too much !Besides,James Ivory 's majestic talent ("Howards end" "remains of the day" "A room with the view" "Maurice") had inexorably waned."Jefferson in Paris" was already unsatisfying,smug and overblown.Still,it was entertaining."Surviving Picasso' is not.Only five minutes -let's be generous- are given over to the process of creation.The essential revolves around Picasso's relationship with women;this is neither rewarding nor entertaining,being trite,hollow and devoid of emotion , violence or/and tenderness. Word to the wise:people interested in Picasso's art -which is more interesting than his private life!who cares?- should try to see Henri-Georges Clouzot 's "le mystère Picasso" (1956):Unlike Ivory,Clouzot films the REAL Picasso while he is creating.He paints on a sheet of glass and we can follow every lick of paint.

As far as context goes, I had already known most of the material from biographies in other sources. There were only a couple new aspects to this one. The acting was superb. Anthony Hopkins and Natascha McElhone were passionate and believable. It portrays Picasso's nature as narrated by one of his former lovers. It's NOT a fluff piece, but you shouldn't end up hating him unless you did already.