Pollock

Starring: Ed Harris, Marcia Gay Harden, Tom Hower, Jennifer Connolly, Burt Cort, John Heard, Val Kilmer, Amy Madigan, Jeffrey Tambor
Directed by Ed Harris
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2000

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Jackson Pollock (Ed Harris) rises from obscurity to become one of the most beloved- and controversial- American artists.

Review:

Tim: The biggest takeaway from watching this film is that Jackson Pollock was kind of a jerk. I'm being humorous, but there is something real about that. This movie, Ed Harris' directorial debut, is also his passion project. He really identified with Pollock, and put his heart and soul into this movie. And yet, from watching this film, it's hard to like Pollock as a character or a person. I was really impressed that Harris didn't pull any punches with this film- it depicted Pollock in a realistic setting. The guy was an alcoholic for most of his life, and not exactly a stand-up guy. I love that Harris was not afraid to show Pollock, warts and all.

Jackson Pollock is such a controversial, interesting guy. When I look at his art, I really struggle with what to think of it. Part of me just thinks it's utter crap, as he just dribbled paint around a canvas. There doesn't see to be anything special about his painting. And yet, there's something more to his art. In some strange way, the paintings just look beautiful. It does not exactly make sense, but they are mesmerizing in their own. Part of me feels like he's overrated, part of me wonders if he really did create these beautiful, original works of art. He is definitely a perfect subject for a biopic.

I actually love that Ed Harris cast himself as Pollock. He definitely resembles the painter, and gives a career-defining performance. He absolutely deserved the Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Unfortunately, his nomination came during one of the most competitive Best Actor years ever. I'm glad he did not win, but he absolutely deserved the nomination. His performance carries the film. I was also very impressed with Marcia Gay Harden. I normally don't like Harden much, even though I admit she's a talented actress. Here, she gives an unbelievably powerful performance. She never attempts to steal Harris' spotlight, but she manages to give a remarkable performance next to him. There's a few moments when tensions are high where she absolutely shines. She very likely deserved her Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (which was the film's one Oscar win).

Now, I really, really enjoyed this film. However, I have to admit that Harris shows some inexperience behind the camera. The story is good, but it's not great. It jumps around in time, but it feels a bit jumbled. The transitions weren't smooth. I felt like the script was good, but Harris didn't allow the film to reach any of its potential. The whole film was good, solid, but it never approached greatness. I was intrigued by the story and learning more about Jackson Pollock, but I never felt any emotional connection to him. This is the reason why Harris and Harden received acclaim for their individual performances, but the movie missed out on all the big awards. It's a very good film that features a couple great performances.

Yes, I'm being hard on Harris- for a directorial debut, this film is truly outstanding. It was very, very interesting. I absolutely loved watching Harris paint, and was stunned to hear that he did his own painting in the film. It doesn't seem like much, but his ability made the film feel authentic. Pollock might not quite be a great film, but it's certainly an achievement. I liked it very much.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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