Beautiful photography, beautiful paintings, beautiful filming! But I am afraid if someone doesn't have an intuitive sense or educated background in seeing and comprehending coloration, a sense of space, composition, contrast, texture, and just plain contemplation of beauty; then I do not feel they will appreciate this film.
From start to finish every frame, scene, setting, motion, etc. of this film is art - fine art. The plot line is secondary to the imagery! Frank Langella as Warner Dax, and Wes Bentley as Daniel are both suffering and failing. Warner Dax suffers the alienation of his family and his declining health. Daniel suffers the inability to provide for his family because his art is failing to sell and his marriage is dissolving. They each escape this suffering through their creative abilities in their own way. Warner hires Daniel to assist him in creating his final painting, but Daniel does not realize this. And Daniel, through his association with Warner finds his way back into his art. The story is easy to follow. What's difficult is seeing how the paintings are an outer expression of their internal selves!
The end credits in the movie states original paintings created by Eric Zener and Stephen Wright. I would love to see an exhibition of the paintings created for this film. And I would love to see an exhibit of just some motion picture stills! The two actors are just shadows behind the art.
I'm giving it an 8 because it's beautiful to watch & see. The acting is a bit dry and you just don't care about them.
