Never Met Picasso

I happened to stumble upon this oddly perfect little flick at a film festival in Boston. While it's essentially a gay film, I believe that, as a straight guy, I was as entertained by it as anyone else. It's laugh-out-loud funny at times and quite tender and sad at others. Alexis Arquette's performance is truly outstanding as is the Uncle's. And Kijak's directing is flawless. It's one of those films that you still find yourself talking about months later. Run out and rent it.

I rented this movie a couple of weeks ago. This is one shallow and terribly

undeveloped film. I agree with the other reviewer -- there is no substance to any of the characters whatsoever, and the plot is very dull. I don't know how this film got funding --- it's sub-quality freshman filmmaking.

Never Met Picasso, written & directed by Stephen Kijak is a light comedy/avante garde type independent movie that deliver's a story about dysfunctional friend's and family centred around the art's/theatre community. Andy(Alexis Arquette) is a 30yr old painter without direction and languishing his time away at numerous parties and hanging-out with best-pal Lucy(Georgia Ragsdale)a neurotic sculptor. Entering a competition to win a trip to Africa for much needed inspiration. Other characters are Actress/mother Genna Magnus(Margot Kidder) performing in a dreadful stage-play The Naked Tenor(Hilarious, because it's sooo awful)and Uncle Alfred(Alvin Epstein) whom share's a little closet family secret with Andy's mother Genna. Other weird and wonderful characters round out the relationship's romantic or otherwise such as Lucy's girlfriend Ingrid whom channels the spirits of female surrealist's and the mercurial art/historian scholar Jerry(Don McKellar) whom pursue's Andy. In my opinon this is an entertaining well made film, however it isn't strong on plot or real depth. Performances are all excellent by cast and so too the work done by Mr.Kijak. It's a comedy and an interesting one at that but not of interest to a mass-public but for open-minded viewer's a worthy choice for general viewing. I own the video and have still enjoyed it after a few repeated viewing's. Recommended!

Having gay characters does not make for a gay film and having interesting characters does not always make for an interesting film.

Andrew Magnus (Alexis Arquette) is the last of a Boston arts family. Alfred, his aging uncle is a painter and Genna, his mother, is an avant-garde theatre performer. All three are gay but that seems to have no real point in the story. Andrew is blocked in his painting and without inspiration (not unlike this film) The characters have their interesting aspects but we don't learn enough about any of them to really care about them. There was a young man David, that both mother and uncle cared for but he died in Viet Nam, we hear very little about him. Instead we see and hear about the gallery crowd and the flamboyant artists that populate the Magnus' lives and all of the openings, exhibits and parties that occupy their time.

I may be a philistine and may be missing the higher meanings here, but I think it's just that there are no higher meanings here. The film stopped short of greatness and got tangled up with flash and form over any real substance.

It played at a art house in Brookline MA for about a week or two. I only saw it because I had seen Georgia Ragsdale (a very funny lesbian comedian) twice in Provincetown and I had a casual acquaintance with Eddie Rutkowski. The plot was kind of vague and there was really no resolution but it DID catch the art scene in Boston perfectly back in 1996. It was full of local characters and was shot on location. For a very low budget feature it was well-done and Arquette and Kidder were excellent in small roles. I don't think this ever got a wide release but it might be available on DVD. If you have an interest in Boston back in the 1990s or are a gay man you might like this one.