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Pollock
Movie: 9/10
From a cinematic standpoint you might think that making a movie about a painter, particularly one whose work was extremely abstract, wouldn't be a great idea. You would be wrong. Pollock tells the story of a man who was fairly revolutionary in his style but more importantly, was a horrendously conflicted and troubled soul. That forms the heart of this film. Ed Harris stars and directs this biopic about the painter Jackson Pollock. He is best known for his drip paintings, where the canvas was laid on the floor and Pollock actually dripped paint onto it rather than putting it there directly with the brush.
Pollock was an intensely shy individual. His wife, painter Lee Krasner, shepherded his career to stardom. She largely gave up her painting career to champion his. Marcia Gay Harden delivers a wonderful performance in that role, one that brought her an Oscar win for best supporting actress. It's really a leading role though. Ed Harris is almost as good, himself getting an Oscar nomination for the role of Pollock.
I found the film fascinating because it managed to instill respect in me for Pollock's work. Previously unimpressed by his drip technique, I changed my mind in the scenes where we see Harris mimicking the process, a strangely graceful and compelling act. This film won't appeal to everyone, despite its quality. Many will find it a bit slow but if you enjoy a good character driven drama, this one should impress.
Video: 8/10
It's a good looking anamorphic widescreen transfer, good enough to let viewers appreciate the texture of paintings in close-up.
Audio: 6/10
The audio seemed inconsistent to me. At times it came across muffled and low while other points were sharp and clear. In particular, the director's commentary seems to suffer from poor audio quality. I found it necessary to crank the volume to hear it clearly. It features a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack but doesn't always sound like it.
Extras: 7/10
There is a nice collection of goodies here. Included are a making of documentary, an interview with Ed Harris from the Charlie Rose show, several deleted scenes and a director's commentary track.
Overall: 8/10
An excellent film that is nicely rounded out with some good extras. It should make an excellent addition to your collection.
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