Customer Reviews

Local Color

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

LOCAL COLOR is one of those films that move sensitive audience members despite its flaws. The story by George Gallo (also responsible for the script) is based on a true event - the coming together of a young student artist with a crusty alcoholic master painter and how one summer of cohabitation in the beauty of Pennsylvania's countryside sets the stage for the transformation of each. The idea is excellent and the story does indeed provide information about the importance of representational art in a world preferring the jolt of 'progressive art' for both the novice art appreciator and art students - among other values - but the dialogue at times is so repetitive and predictable that the mood frequently changes inappropriately.

Armin Mueller-Stahl lends his usual credibility to the tortured soul of Nicoli Seroff, a Russian landscape artist of advanced years who came to America after the Stalin purges murdered his family and his wife Anya and who now paints very little because of his disillusionment with the contemporary art scene and the tenor of the times. Down the street (the film begins in Port Chester, New York - the year is 1974) lives a lad named John Talia, Jr (Trevor Morgan) who is at odds with his inner need to create art and the world of 'normal boys' as viewed by his father (Ray Liotta). Through a series of instances John discovers Nicoli and after frustrated attempts to study art with the master, Nicoli begrudgingly invites John to his summer studio in the wilds of Pennsylvania. There the two grow into each other's worlds, in part due to the external influences of art critic Curtis Sunday (Ron Perlman) and the lonely Carla (Samantha Mathis) - a young girl whose only child is now dead and who lives for the closeness of caring for Nicoli. How the boy and the master mend fences and learn form each other is the story of a summer of enlightenment.

The acting is very fine, the photography matches the mood of the landscapes each of the two characters approach, and the story line is touching. Gallo somehow finds it necessary to pepper his dialogue with two expletives that grow boring and seem like laziness on the part of the script writing. But once over this bothersome hurdle the result of this film is a touching tribute to the concept of inspiration and the camaraderie of master and pupil. Especially fine for art students who are faced with the dilemma of representational versus non-representational expression in art. Grady Harp, October 09

Inspired by a true story, Local Color is the award-winning movie of a young student who, in 1974, befriended an alcoholic yet brilliant master painter. The student longs to learn the master's wisdom, while the master struggles to find any meaning in his life or his work. Together, they learn from each other - the student comes to see the world as an artist sees it, while the master takes inspiration from the innocence and yen for life in his student. An enthralling saga about learning to recognize and remember the beauty in life, Local Color is highly recommended. 107 minutes, rated R.

Since the release dates are listed from 2006 and 2008, any Oscar recognition has been lost, which is too bad because performances like these deserve more widespread recognition. Cannot say enough about how beautiful and emotional this film is.

The Amazon trailer and editorials cover nicely this period art film's attempt at showing one young man's summer spent with an icon in the canvas painting industry. Trevor Morgan and Armin Mueller Stahl fill the lead roles wonderfully as student and mentor. Ron Perlman plays the gayishly flamboyant friend of the old man, and having just recently watched the Sons of Anarchy: Season One [Blu-ray] I think he deserves an Oscar nod for proving his diversity and believability here. The story unfolds over a summer of learning about life, love and the passion needed to paint successfully. A nice touch is the film's narrator having a Stand By Me feel (older man voice but teen character); I liked it.

The supplements include a 8:15 minute making of that contains a little too much from the film and not enough meat on the production, but it still contained some decent info. The interviews with the actors (Armin, Trevor and Samantha Mathis) supplement lasts 14:35 minutes and covers a thorough background regarding their characters and thoughts on the film. The George Gallo's studio piece is a two minute pan/scan of his painting studio; it looks like what you would expect a painter's room to appear if you toured it.

The film has a genuine feel of one learning about art and painting even if you are not a painter. The laugh out loud moments are punctuated with solid and heartfelt dramatic moments, and the scenery is used perfectly (like looking at a canvas). It will be on my recommendation list for customers, and I am glad to see it getting poster and ad placement. Enjoy.

I haven't seen this on DVD, since after 3 years since leaving the few art house theatres, it has finally come to DVD. I was one of the lucky few to actually see it in the theatre, and despite the relentlessly bad language, I thought it was a remarkable film. It rates up with "The Legend of 1900," "The World's Fastest Indian," "The Girl in the Cafe," "The Russia House," and "A Good Year" as far as a great story, solid acting from all principal characters, beautiful photography, and great music. If you agree with my choices of truly excellent films, please e-mail me at [...] and tell me your additional favorites. Thanks. Dave

Length:: 2:33 Mins

Local Color Theatrical Trailer

This isn't "Karate Kid" for painters--it's "Karate Kid for Artists." And there is a big difference between the two. Mr. Seroff's views of art and artists as portrayed in this film are the kind that send the artistic intelligentsia limping back to their Dojo. I remember having these same heated arguments with my Fine Arts professors in college and I would have loved to have had Mr. Seroff (Miyagi) in my corner. I hope the real young artist who learned from this man knows how blessed he was to have his influence in his life.

It is a shame that the trailer for this movie seemed to focus so much on the scenes where Seroff is cursing like a sailor. My wife is more sensitive to foul language than I am, and she was a bit hesitant to see it for that reason, but actually, the movie as a whole was not nearly as coarse as expected. We both felt that the only weak parts of the movie related to the young artist's love interest. Nevertheless, for someone like myself, who has been making a living as a professional artist for over forty years, I found the movie and the story, both engaging and encouraging. If you are the kind of person who has any artistic bent at all, I highly recommend you see this movie, even if you choose not to make it a part of your DVD library.

I'm a little surprised there are not more reviews on this movie. I found it to be fresh and satisfying, like cool water on a hot day.

I have struggled for years with the image of the artist as tortured soul driven to brush or pen or whatever by the dark flecks that drive the human psyche. Certainly some artists are like that, but some of us are more normally dysfunctional, more interested in the old idea of creating beauty, of moving another person, of expressing deep truths for other's to appreciate. This is the essential message of this movie, that the true purpose of art is not self-expression (or at least not just that), but that art can give others a way to see how beautiful the world is.

The two main actors, Armin Mueller-Stahl and Trevor Morgan, give flawless performances. Mueller-Stahl is particularly good at delivering dense and rich lines as if they are natural and flowing from a lifetime of thought and realization. There is something authentic and authoritative about his delivery.

In some ways the film is a criticism of "modern art" and a call to appreciate nature and beauty as the common purview of all human creativity, but on a deeper level it is about how we as people can become beautiful if we embrace the role of artist as "lifter of human souls".

If you agree with this basic premise then I'm not sure there is any way to not like the movie. It is well produced, the cinematography is good, and the story is nicely familiar while also being interestingly different. It is basically the mentor/student story arch but the content of the work being learned by the young artist is presented, unabashadly, as something important and almost sacred.

My only criticism is the content of the narration. It seemed in places to boarder on platitude, especially compared to the dialogues of the main characters, but this is a minor point.

There is an innocence, truthfulness, and purity about this film that I look forward to dipping into again and again when my motivation flags.

I was looking forward to this film which was unavailable in my area, so Amazon provided it,
and I was not disappointed. It arrived promptly in good condition and I found the story engaging.
It's of special interest to an artist (which I am).

This is a must see video for anyone who loves and appreciates art. I found this movie to be one of the best I've seen. I'm against the profanity, but if you ignore it this is a very good movie.

This is one of those movies that is written well, acted well, directed well. I guess that means it was produced beautifully!