Ally is terrific. I really enjoyed this film.

I liked it being called a "pretentious melodrama". Add in Lesbian and drugs, and you got a good description. I saw it since it was on the NYT 1000 movies list. SLC DVD.

Sheedy and Mitchell's devotion to the material is likely to wrap you up in the first act but I can't say if Director Cholodenko even pondered on the third act being anywhere near as fulfilling as the first. Worthwhile for the acting alone I'd say.

Photo editor falls in love with upstairs neighbour, a retired photographer with a drug addiction and wrong friends. Emotionally drained characters populate this unremarkable movie. The two protagonists drag the film along and make it even slightly engaging. The soundtrack has a few captivating pieces.

Superb, sexy, heartbreaking love story that is also a profound and realistic meditation on art and the art business. Stellar acting by the two leads as well as the inimitable Patricia Clarkson as the German junkie-ist German junkie ever captured on screen. Captivating.

The majority of the characters in High Art speak in hushed whispers, seemingly disinterested in their surroundings, other than where their next fix is coming from. The remaining characters, all in the publishing business, converse in patronizing platitudes, always careful to maintain the monotone drone used to convey superiority. It's essentially the story of Lucy (Ally Sheedy), a photographer who has fallen out of the scene for a decade, and her relationship with Syd (Radha Mitchell), a photo magazine editor who tries to lure Lucy back into the world of photography. The relationship between the two leads is interesting, but the secondary characters, of which there are far too many, are vacuous and one-dimensional shells that suck the energy out of the film. In addition, much of the dialogue feels stilted or forced, which further detracts from what could have been an interesting film.

Wonderful film, beautifully written and shot, and well acted. The perspective though the eyes of Radha Mitchell keeps the film focused, and it is unveiled before us one layer at a time and not at all erratic. Easily watchable film and not overdone, and the writing is just perfect. This is a film you will remember, and I have.

High Art [Lisa Cholodenko, 1998, United States] Solid, sexy, crafted characters. a psychological rollercoaster. 6/10

I didnt see the ending coming, i was kind of frustrated. But the movie itself is nothing crazy, just a nice 90's plot.

Just a beautiful film.

The film's exceedingly slow, mildly pretentious trappings are limiting, but strong performances, an interesting premise, and several intelligent ideas about artificiality/authenticity make it a mildly rewarding sit.

strong performances and it keeps you interested in the story even though it is somewhat dull..and it has a good ending.

A small gem from Clarkson and Sheedy. The plot leaves a lot to be desired, but it portrays an interesting artist community and ultimately an enjoyable watch, if not actually a happy ending.

A rather dark and dreary film without a character to really connect with. Everyone is seemingly so flawed and disconnected that they are hard to relate to. But there's still an interesting look at relationships, sexuality, art, and ambition. The pacing of the film is slow and monotonous, much like the character of Gretchen. You wait for it to wake up like she does for just a moment. But it rarely does if at all. Good cinematography and production design, but Cholodenko's talent really came to life in Laurel Canyon.

One of the best films I've seen. It's deeply absorbing and mesmerising, with a great deal of wit. It's beautifully written and has you obsessed from the start. Ally Sheedy's performance was nothing short of incredible.

Awesome movie. Freaking intense.

This is a romantic drama featuring a love triangle with 3 women. It ably shows the dissolution of one relationship built on drug-addition and co-dependency and the building of a new relationship built on burgeoning feelings of awakening love. The acting is top notch. The story is interesting but moves very slowly and depicts too much of the spaced-out results of heroin abuse. Many scenes are focused on characters sitting around staring into space.

The cinematography recalls the work of Nan Goldin - the obvious inspiration for Lucy. Sadly, High Art devolves into melodrama as soon as the plot kicks into high gear. Not nearly the kind if gritty, realistic look at the inner world of the artist that it could have been.

Pretty good, sad ending, but still a good film.

Absorbing psychological tug-of-war ensues for the attentions of fragile, reclusive photographer Lucy (Ally Sheedy) between her current girlfriend, junkie German former actress Greta (Patricia Clarkson) and her newly introduced downstairs neighbor, assistant magazine layout editor Syd (Radha Mitchell) who can get her vocation back on the fast track. The title has a double meaning as Lucy is torn, she can choose to remain in her current situation of privacy locked in a world of drug-fueled parties and a debilitatingly dependent Greta, or gain the strength to get clean and join Syd which also means facing the pressures that drove her away from the photography business in the first place. This trio of actresses is equally excellent in showing each character's vulnerabilities and makes the film worth watching, even if it seems to end with a chapter missing.