Высокое искусство

1998 film by Lisa Cholodenko

the film

High Art is a 1998 independent romantic drama written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, and starring Ally Sheedy and Radha Mitchell. It premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and saw a limited release in the United States on June 12, 1998. The film received largely positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Sheedy's performance, which earned several accolades, including the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress.

Sydney (or simply "Syd"), age 24, is a woman who has her whole life mapped out in front of her. Living with longtime boyfriend James, and working her way up at the respected high art photography magazine Frame, Syd has desires and frustrations that seem typical and manageable. But when a crack in her ceiling springs a leak and Syd finds herself knocking on the door of her upstairs neighbor, a chance meeting suddenly takes her on a new path. Opening the door to an uncharted world for Syd is Lucy Berliner, a renowned photographer, enchanting, elusive, and curiously retired. Now 40, Lucy lives with her once glamorous, heroin addicted German girlfriend Greta, and plays host to a collection of hard living party kids. Syd is fascinated by Lucy and becomes drawn into the center of Lucy's strangely alluring life upstairs. Syd mentions Lucy to her bosses (without realising that she is famous) but they remain uninterested until they realise exactly who Lucy is. At a lunch, Lucy agrees to work for the magazine as long as Syd is her editor. Soon a working relationship develops between the two and a project is underway which promises a second chance for Lucy's career. But as Syd and Lucy's collaboration draws them closer together, their working relationship turns sexual and the lines between love and professionalism suddenly blur. As Syd slowly discovers the darker truths of Lucy's life on the edge, she is forced to confront her own hunger for recognition and the uncertain rewards of public esteem.

The photography by Lucy Berliner (Sheedy) was based on Nan Goldin's work. The photographs were made by Jojo Whilden.

The film premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76%, based on 49 reviews, and an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "A surprisingly sultry performance from Ally Sheedy elevates High Art from pretentious melodrama to compelling if still a little pretentious romance." Film critic Roger Ebert praised the film as "masterful", noting "High Art is so perceptive and mature it makes similar films seem flippant. The performances are on just the right note, scene after scene, for what needs to be done." Emanuel Levy of Variety wrote, "The beauty of Cholodenko’s writing is that she etches the evolving friendship, and the transformation of the two women, step by step, without any cheating," and that she "painstakingly dissects the culture of heroin chic and its implications." Of Sheedy, Levy wrote after years of "’80s teen angst movies, [she] shakes up her old screen image entirely and emerges as a mature, highly disciplined actress." IndieWire listed it as #7 of The 15 Greatest Lesbian Movies of All Time. In 2022, Autostraddle listed it as #58 of The 200 Best Lesbian Movies of All Time.

+AwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultBoston Society of Film Critics AwardsBest Supporting ActressPatricia ClarksonBest ActressAlly SheedyCannes Film FestivalGolden CameraLisa CholodenkoChicago Film Critics Association Awards Best ActressAlly SheedyChlotrudis AwardsBest MovieBest ActressAlly SheedyBest Supporting ActressPatricia ClarksonBest Director Lisa CholodenkoDeauville Film FestivalJury Special PrizeGrand Special Prize14th Independent Spirit AwardsBest Female LeadAlly SheedyProducers AwardSusan A. StoverBest First FeatureLisa Cholodenko, Dolly Hall, Jeffrey Kusama Hinte, Susan A. StoverBest CinematographyTami ReikerBest Supporting FemalePatricia ClarksonBest First ScreenplayLisa CholodenkoGLAAD Media AwardsOutstanding Film (Limited Release)Gotham Independent Film AwardsBreakthrough DirectorLisa CholodenkoLos Angeles Film Critics Association AwardsBest ActressAlly SheedyNational Society of Film Critics AwardsBest ActressBest Supporting ActressPatricia ClarksonStockholm Film FestivalBronze HorseLisa CholodenkoGrand Jury Prize – DramaticValladolid International Film Festival Golden Spike