Product Details

• Actors: Max Minghella, Sophia Myles, John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent, Matt Keeslar
• Directors: Terry Zwigoff
• Writers: Daniel Clowes
• Producers: John Malkovich, Barbara A. Hall, Daniel Clowes, Lianne Halfon, Russell Smith
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
• Dubbed: French, Portuguese, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
  PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click .
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: October 10, 2006
• Run Time: 102 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000H6SXSI
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,070 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Art School Confidential" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Bitter, misanthropic, yet sometimes blisteringly funny, Art School Confidential is not a movie for everyone. Jerome (Max Minghella, Bee Season) goes to art school in the hopes of having his genuine ability recognized and cherished--but instead, finds his teachers to be self-obsessed has-beens, his peers jaded and floundering, and himself being investigated for a series of gruesome stranglings. He becomes obsessed with a lovely student named Audrey (Sophia Myles, Tristan and Isolde), but she's more interested in hunky Jonah (Matt Keeslar, Splendor), whose crude yet acclaimed paintings of cars and tanks make Jerome want to tear his own eyes out. The crime-thriller plot of Art School Confidential, however, is merely a contrivance to string together a series of caustic digs at the shallow, narcissistic, talentless hacks who go to art school in the vain hope of achieving fame, wealth, and sexual abundance with little or no effort. For most viewers, who want to think that people are largely well-intentioned and decent, this will seem snide and cruel; but for some viewers, who believe people are foolish and blinkered, Art School Confidential will seem like an oasis in the arid desert of lies and propaganda about the good side of human nature. If this is your movie, you know who you are, and I encourage you to seek it out as soon as possible. Directed by Terry Zwigoff (Bad Santa) and based on the work of cartoonist Dan Clowes; their previous collaboration was the much warmer Ghost World. Also featuring sharp turns from John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich), Anjelica Huston (Prizzi's Honor), and Jim Broadbent (Moulin Rouge!). --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

"Art School Confidential" follows talented young artist Jerome Platz (Max Minghella) as he escapes from high school to a tiny East Coast art school. Here the boyish freshman's ambition is to become the world's greatest artist, like his hero Picasso. Unfortunately, the beauty and craft of Jerome's portraiture are not appreciated in an anything-goes art class. Neither his harsh judgments of his classmates' efforts nor his later attempts to create pseudo-art of his own win him any admirers. But Jerome does attract the attentions of his dream girl, the stunning and sophisticated Audrey (Sophia Myles), an artist's model and daughter of a celebrated artist. Rejecting the affectations of the local art scene, Audrey is drawn to Jerome's sincerity. When Audrey shifts her attention to Jonah (Matt Keeslar), a hunky painter who becomes the school's latest art star, Jerome is heartbroken. Desperate, he concocts a risky plan to make a name for himself and win her back.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Art Film Movie About An Artist At Art School ...Whoa! May 22, 2006

By B. Merritt VINE™ VOICE

Yesterday I went to my local art theater to watch an art film about a future artist attending art school. Whew! I'm glad I got that out!

But lets chat about this art film, shall we? Here we go...

It's got a lot going for it. First and foremost is an impressive script. Obviously the screenwriter, director, producer (or all three) attended art school at some point. And making fun of the people and faculty at such a place is where the comedy in Art School Confidential takes wing. When Jerome (Max Minghella), the main character, begins attending his freshman year at Strathmore Art School, he's quickly introduced to the cliche-riddled cast (the cliche is purposeful and pulled off just as well as the movie GALAXY QUEST). He meets the burned-out art teacher Professor Sandiford (John Malkovich), the beautiful model that every male wants named Audrey (Sophia Myles), the angry lesbian, the teacher's pet/kiss-a$$, the drug addled film student, and a splash of others. There's also a strangler on the loose in the neighborhood which will play a vital role in how Jerome's artistic dreams play out.

The ridiculousness of art school is what really makes this movie work. Jerome is obviously very talented, but other artists whiz by him because art is what the artists say art is. It might be a picture of a car, or a man attaching jumper cables to his nipples and letting current run through him, or a mound of plastic chairs.

Jerome wants to be the next Picasso. He studies hard, tries to get noticed, but nothing seems to work. He's also a virgin and wants desperately to get laid but with the wacked out student body at Strathmore, he's got his work cut out for him.

As Jerome works and works, trying to become a successful artist, we get to watch him fall into despair; he starts smoking, drinking, and visits a washed up Strathmore graduate named Jimmy (Jim Broadbent) who gives him some dark and grotesquely sage advice: "Are you good at `getting on your knees?'" (I've cleaned that up a bit, but you get the idea.)

It becomes apparent to Jerome (and the movie watcher) that he has no chance of becoming a recognized artist ...unless something drastic happens. Which, of course, it does (Cliche? Oh yes!)

Once this "something drastic" happens, Jerome learns the true nature of being an artist. It's an unfortunate and incredibly funny set of circumstances that finally thrusts Jerome into the limelight.

The level of casting in this indie film is surprisingly large and notable. In addition to John Malkovich (BEING JOHN MALKOVICH) we see Anjelica Huston (THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS), Jim Broadbent (MOULIN ROUGE!), Matt Keeslar (DUNE miniseries), Ethan Suplee (COLD MOUNTAIN), Steve Buscemi (THE BIG LEBOWSKI) and several others.

This impressive cast pulled off the overly-pretentious attitudes that flood many art schools. They were witty yet cynical which made laughing out loud a requirement during the viewing of this amazing little flick.

God I love these little independents when they're done right!

28 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Snarky Little Film with Contempt for Pretension May 13, 2006

By Mark R. Whittington VINE™ VOICE

Jerome, the ackward, teenaged charecter, spends the first few minutes of the film getting the crap beaten out of him by various bullies. He also can't get laid because, as he puts it, he has high standards. But he has a bigger problem. He wants to be an artist, indeed the greatest artist of the 21st Century. A fine ambition to be sure, but Jerome seems to be more in love with the idea of being an artist than creating art. And that's kind of a paradox, because he's the only person depicted in the film who creates pieces that are worth looking at. His style is somewhat akin to the doomed Jack Dawson from that slightly bigger film, Titanic, rather than that of his idol, Picasso.

Jerome goes to a pretigious, northe eastern art school in hopes of picking up a few grains of wisdom that will help him to fullfill his ambition. The problem is that most of his fellow students and many of his teachers are either pretenders or insane or both. Then he runs into the age old problem of it's not what you know but who you know. Through in a beautiful artists model (the only female worth getting intiment with), a serial killer, and a fiendish plan to become the greatest artist of the 21st Century (or at least the current fashion of this season), and you got a delightfully, snarky little movie that makes the viewer laugh at everything and everyone in it with a mixture of contempt and astonishment.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Comedy...Malkovich is Great. October 12, 2006

By Joshua Miller VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

"Art School Confidential" is directed by Terry Zwigoff, director of "Bad Santa" and is a massively underrated comedy. The movie stars Max Minghella (son of "Cold Mountain" writer/director Anthony Minghella),

Sophia Myles (who's really hot), John Malkovich (one of the best actors alive), Jim Broadbent ("Gangs of New York"), Ethan Suplee ("My Name is Earl"), Nick Swardson ("Grandma's Boy"), Joel David Moore (also "Grandma's Boy"), Steve Buscemi ("Fargo"), and Anjelica Huston ("Daddy Day Care"). Minghella plays Jerome Platz, an aspiring artist who begins attending Strathmore Academy. He arrives at a strange time, since a serial killer is terrorizing the grounds (which has, I admit, become cliche). In one class, Professor Sandiford (Malkovich, terrific as always) informs the students that only 1 out of 100 of them will ever make a living as an artist. Jerome is looking to be that one; In fact, he's aiming really high. He wants to be the greatest artist of the 21st century. Then Jerome meets an art model named Audrey (Myles) and spends the rest of the movie trying to win her over. Problem is, a guy named Jonah (Matt Keeslar) seems to be in the running for her affections as well...Although, Jonah isn't quite who he seems to be. This story isn't typical boy-meets-girl kind of material though. Jerome is kind of weird and is very obsessive of Audrey, so when she doesn't "fall into his arms" it's not really hard to see why. Swardson and Suplee co-star as Jerome's roommates. One of whom is making a movie about the strangler, the other whom may or not be gay. Huston plays an Art Teacher, Broadbent plays an alcoholic artist, and Buscemi plays the owner of a cafe where most artists get their start showing their work. The biggest problem I had with the film was the ending. It seemed a little forced and overly symbolic. Like the screenwriter though "OK, yeah, that's great. They kiss through the glass, everyone cheers. Cut to black." I know a lot of people on Amazon don't seem to like this movie, but it's actually a pretty funny and smartly written comedy. Whether my poorly written synopsis intrigues you or not, see this movie.

GRADE: A-