High Art *** (1998, Radha Mitchell, Ally Sheedy, Patricia Clarkson) – Classic Movie Review 9001

Writer-director Lisa Cholodenko’s 1998 romantic drama High Art stars Radha Mitchell as a young woman intern whose magazine career is on the rise, thanks to her relationship with a once beautiful lesbian photographer (Ally Sheedy), who is now nearly destroyed by drugs.

Syd (Mitchell) tempts Lucy Berliner (Sheedy) back to work, and their relationship becomes more physical, each using the other while falling in love, with dangerous results.

Sheedy is the making of this frank, adult film in a remarkable portrait of a woman living on the edge.

It is rated R for strong sexuality, pervasive drug use and strong language.

Also in the cast are Patricia Clarkson, Gabriel Mann, Charis Michaelson, David Thornton, Anh Duong, Helen Mendes, Bill Sage, Tammy Grimes and Cindra Feuer.

High Art is directed by Lisa Cholodenko, runs 101 minutes, is made by 391 Productions, Antidote Films and October Films, is distributed by October Films (1998) (US), is written by Lisa Cholodenko, is shot by Tami Reiker, is produced by Dolly Hall, Susan A Strover and Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, is scored by Shudder To Think and is designed by Bernhard Blythe.

It was released on DVD by Universal Studios Home Video (2004) (US) and TLA Releasing (2009) (UK).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9001

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com