Words and Pictures (2013)
Cast includes: Clive Owen (Inside Man), Juliette Binoche (The English Patient), Bruce Davison (X-Men)
Director: Fred Schepisi (Roxanne, Six Degrees of Separation, Last Orders)
Screenplay: Gerald Di Pego (Instinct, The Forgotten)
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance (111 minutes)
Dina Delsanto checks her make up. Ready? “Yes,” says Dina, trying to muster her confidence. Jack Marcus looks like he had a rough night. Ready? Not really. He pours vodka into his thermos. That should help. At Croyton Prep, it’s brutal trying to motivate his Honors English students. “I need an A because I haven’t been accepted to Princeton yet.” Just once, Jack would like students to care about words and language because they care about words and language. In the teacher’s lounge, they’re talking about the new teacher… Dina Delsanto. She’ll be teaching Honors Art. “The ice cycle” is what they call her. When Jack meets her, he tries to tempt her to play his stupid word game… 5-syllable word beginning with B. “Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah,” she answers. In class, she’s just as cold. “I don’t need to get to know you. I’m not the kind of teacher you’ll come visit after you graduate.”
Meanwhile, the school wants to turn Jack’s award-winning magazine into an online blog. Jack was a literary star 6 years ago when his book came out, but his star is fading and it’s becoming harder to forgive his faults. His job may even be in jeopardy. Speaking of stars… Dina Delsanto is the school’s latest star. If it weren’t for the crippling rheumatoid arthritis, she’d still be an art world superstar. “You couldn’t afford one of her paintings.” These days, it’s hard for her to even hold a paintbrush, much less create a masterpiece. “Ms. Delsanto says ‘words are lies,’” a student tells Jack. “Who thinks pictures are more powerful than words?” he asks the class. They all raise their hands. Jack makes a compelling case, but these knuckleheads can’t focus on anything beyond Twitter. “This is war!” And Jack turns it into a contest… words vs pictures. What is it with Jack and his games? First it’s the multisyllabic word game. Now it’s words vs pictures. He’s “incorrigible… that’s 5 syllables.”
Both Jack and Dina are damaged former stars. Jack has a drinking problem. Dina has a problem with everything… except her passion for art. Words and Pictures has something for everyone… part drama, part comedy, part romance, part literary romp… it’s a crowd pleaser for grown-ups. The two major stars, Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche have great chemistry together, and director Fred Schepisi knows how to craft a good story. And here’s a bit of fun trivia… the paintings in the movie are all by Juliette Binoche. You might wonder about it as you watch the scenes of her painting. The large paintings… her new style… were actually painted during the filming of the movie. Bravo, Juliette! Anyway, Words and Pictures is a pleasant couple of hours with just enough intellectual depth that you can enjoy it without feeling shallow. As the plot develops, we see there’s more at stake than just a silly game. “Is everything a game to you?” Delsanto asks. “Hardly anything is,” he answers.
3 popped kernels
The English teacher and art teacher seem like opposites, except for their passion for their art
Popcorn Profile
Rated: R (Nudity, Sexual Content)
Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Style: Sensitive
Distribution: Art house
Mood: Neutral
Tempo: Cruises comfortably
Visual Style: Nicely Varnished Realism
Nutshell: Two damaged people take a chance on each other
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Pure Entertainment & Thought Provoking
