 "the eyes of Picasso" | 2009-08-13 |
| - Reviewed By tftn@earthlink.net |
Francoise Gilot had two children by the great painter and
wrote an autobiography. Just because someone is a great singer, actor or painter
certainly doesn't mean they are going to be a nice person.
And ex-wives mostly don't paint their husbands as angels?
I have seen several of these movies about famous painters/ artists.
There seems to be one theme in common:
they are strangely driven people
who see the world through a different window
than ordinary people.
Many are manic in their intensity and mood swings.
Picasso was a crowd pleaser who just was more than all
for Picasso. Anthony Hopkins even tried to get that intensity in his eyes that
Picasso was known for: that glow.
There is little doubt that men
like Escher and Picasso have left us looking at the world differently. |
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 "A Warning for Animal Lovers - Animals were killed for this film." | 2009-02-18 |
| - Reviewed By william_poe |
| Like "Heaven's Gate", animals were killed for this movie. Stray cats were rounded up, secured so they couldn't escape and offered to an owl for take after take until the director was satisfied. You see one of them killed in graphic detail during the movie. |
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 "Excellent movie needs a DVD version!" | 2007-09-10 |
| - Reviewed By kitkat@sweetness.com |
| I have looked for this movie for years to come on DVD...but alas it hasn't happened yet. This movie, which is based on a book, truly shows what it was like to have to live (or 'survive' as you will) with someone who is egocentric and artistic. I don't understand why people wanted this movie to explain Picasso as a person...the title tell you its about someone who SURVIVED Picasso. This man didn't want to be understood. He didn't care about that so appreciate this movie for what it is, a great example of how someone can almost be 'swallowed' whole by another larger than life figure but who is able to transcend all that and stand on their own in the end. This movie has so many great aspects to it outside of the acting so I urge people to give this movie a chance because it is a fantastic journey from beginning to end. |
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| "Under-appreciated Merchant/Ivory Masterpiece!" | 2006-11-19 |
| - Reviewed By vimichael2 |
| If you have seen this film, you would no doubt be able to remember many scenes from this hidden gem. The performances are all top-notch, and why there's no DVD available is mind-blowing! It's filled with unforgettable one-liners, great sets and locales, beautiful montages, and the colors are rich and vivid, with perfect flesh tones from start to finish! The print is also very clean, while the overall cinematography is simply oscar-worthy! The casting could not have been better. Just have a look at the real Dora Maar, played by Julianne Moore. Her performance is just hypnotic! Surviving Picasso is about his relationships with the people in his life, and not so much about the history of his career, so it's not fair to say this film is lacking in that respect. Gilot's career as an artist is a fascinating one, and should be better known. Natascha McElhone's brilliant acting does just that! Merchant's passing should have stirred someone in charge of selecting new dvd releases to do right by both Ishmael and director James Ivory, for their incredible contribution to cinema, with the release of this masterpiece on DVD. The VHS version is crystal clear by the way, so don't think it's not worth the purchase. Nertheless, it would be a great addition to any DVD collection. |
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| "Eleonore Austerer" | 2006-05-27 |
| - Reviewed By eleonore@austererfineart.com |
Wonderful film, outstanding performances on behalf of all actors and actresses, including Sir Anthony Hopkins. His looks and mannerism was so perfect that I forgot at times that I was not watching "Picasso in action".
While many facts shown in this movie are based on truth, we must not forget that the script was based on the novel by Arianna Huffington, who dared (in order to make a name for herself) interpreting Picasso's life by adding a heavy feminist slant. Yes, Picasso was eccentric as an artist and as a man, he was a Spaniard, born in 1881, in the most southern region of Spain (Andalusia) which was under Arab rule for centuries. Understandably, the mentality of a male of his generation is beyond Ms. Huffingtons' comprehention. But nevertheless, even though somewhat distorted by her overly feministic interpretation, "Surviving Picasso" it is an excellent, entertaining and historically speaking, worthwhile movie.
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| "Why no DVD after all these years?" | 2006-03-15 |
| - Reviewed By brueso |
| When week after week you see some of the slop flipped to DVD quickly, it's surprising to me this interesting film is still VHS only. I disagree with some of the other reviewers- I think Hopkins did a great job at inhabiting Picasso's spirit. Did the film "explain" him? No- but Picasso was such an elusive complicated man, it's not entirely surprising. As when Hopkins did Nixon- sure, you don't totally forget it's Anthony Hopkins- but as with his Nixon, Hopkins is mezmorizing here. Hopkins said after playing men like in Remains of the Day who were basically dead from the waist down, he relished the opportunity to play a man who was completely alive- and his joy here is apparent. Beside Hopkins, Natascha McElhone is very intriguing, as are the rest of the supporting cast and the Parisian and Spanish locations. It's a Merchant Ivory piece fer cryin out loud- you KNOW the production values are always going to be rock solid. We'd like a DVD please! |
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