Top

film

Stories

"Gravity"

By Stephanie Zacharek
"The Dirties"

By Zachary Wigon
'Jacques Demy'

By John Oursler
"Gravity"

By Voice Staff
"Concussion"

By Melissa Anderson
"Don Jon"

By Stephanie Zacharek
"Unacceptable Levels"

By Chris Klimek
"Out in the Dark"

By Alan Scherstuhl

The Artist and the Model: One Mustn't Treat One's Audience Like Ignorant Children

A A A Comments (0) By Zachary Wigon Wednesday, Jul 31 2013

Trailer

Location Info

Map

Lincoln Plaza Cinemas

1886 Broadway
New York, NY 10023

Category: Movie Theaters

Region: West 60s

0 user reviews	Write A Review
Save to foursquare

Details

The Artist and the Model
Directed by Fernando Trueba
Cohen Media Group
Opens August 2, Lincoln Plaza

Follow @VoiceFilmClub

More About

John Berger quipped, "Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at," an observation recalled by this anachronistic picture of Fernando Trueba's, which offers as generic a portrait of its central relationship as its title suggests. In WWII France, elderly artist Marc Cros (Jean Rochefort) has seen his well of inspiration run dry. His fortunes improve when his wife (Claudia Cardinale) takes in Mercè (Aida Folch), a shapely Spanish refugee who becomes Marc's model. Predictably, Marc and Mercè don't initially like each other—though Marc's admiration for Mercè's body is apparent—yet they grow close as Mercè revives his artistic spirit. Hopelessly narcissistic, Marc finds nothing as important as his work: "I have a sculpture to finish, with or without the war," he harrumphs. Trueba stakes much of the film's value on Marc's artistic sermons, which are meant to enthrall but more often insult. A set-piece speech about a Rembrandt sketch provides little insight, but much unimpeachable didacticism, as Marc declares the work beyond reproach. Mercè, however, is moved, and Trueba seems to view her relationship with Marc, in which she comes to appreciate a medium she was previously ignorant of, as a stand-in for the audience's relationship with his film. Of course, there's a flaw here—treating one's audience like ignorant children in need of lecturing is hardly a way to win fans, or display one's own artistry.

Follow @VoiceFilmClub