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Surviving Picasso
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by Warner Home Video
Sales Rank: 34
Price: $19.98
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After their brilliant collaborations on <I>Howards End</I> and <I>The Remains of the Day</I>, director James Ivory and Anthony Hopkins reunited (along with producer Ismail Merchant and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala) for this controversial film about the life and loves of the great artist Pablo Picasso. Hopkins is outstanding in the title role, portraying Picasso as a brilliant, manipulative egotist who used his power over women to fuel his artistic impulse and voracious sexual appetite.<p> But <I>Surviving Picasso</I> is not intended to be a screen biography and, as many critics noted in mixed reviews, this 1996 film fails to provide any substantial insight into Picasso's complex personality. It's more about Françoise Gilot (Natascha McElhone), the aspiring artist who was one of the few women to "survive" Picasso's love and emerge as a stronger, more confident person with a life of her own outside of Picasso's often destructive sphere of influence. McElhone is impressive in this breakthrough role, conveying the seductive effect Picasso had on women, but also holding her own against the artist's unpredictable temperament.<p> <I>Surviving Picasso</I> was based on the unflattering book <I>Picasso: Creator and Destroyer</I> by Arianna Huffington, so the Merchant-Ivory team did not have the cooperation of Picasso's estate. The result is a film that shifts its focus away from the artist and onto his positive and negative effect on those who entered his inner circle. It's a fascinating portrait of a fascinating man and his equally passionate lovers, fueled by excellent performances. Even though you know you're not getting the whole story of Picasso's best and worst behavior, the movie grabs and holds your attention. <I>--Jeff Shannon</I>
Viewer Reviews
I have looked for this movie for years to come on DVD...but alas it hasn't happened yet. This movie, which is based on a book, truly shows what it was like to have to live (or 'survive' as you will) with someone who is egocentric and artistic. I don't understand why people wanted this movie to explain Picasso as a person...the title tell you its about someone who SURVIVED Picasso. This man didn't want to be understood. He didn't care about that so appreciate this movie for what it is, a great example of how someone can almost be 'swallowed' whole by another larger than life figure but who is able to transcend all that and stand on their own in the end. This movie has so many great aspects to it outside of the acting so I urge people to give this movie a chance because it is a fantastic journey from beginning to end.
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