Mr. Art Critic (Region 1 Edition)   Starring: Bronson Pinchot, John Lepard and Toni Trucks MTI Home Video RRP: $24.95 039414581867 Certificate: PG-13 Available 13 October 2009

M. J. Clayton is on top of the world as one of the most brutal art critics in Chicago. However not everybody is happy with his invective, including his boss. Following some well placed criticism he retreats to lick his wounds only to run into an amateur artist who he had particularly savaged. Forced into a night of drinking Clayton wakes the next morning to discover that he has agreed to enter a local art competition...

Mr. Art Critic (2007 - 1 hr, 30 min, 03 sec) is a comedy from writer/director/producer Richard Brauer. Now here’s an interesting proposition for a critic, a film about the inadequacies of negative criticism, presumably partially made to deflect any negative press the film might gain. Brauer has not had a good ride from critics, mostly because the films he's made have been unimpressive. So, has he succeeded with his new movie? Well, yes and no.

There is little in either the structure or the narrative of the film which is particularly original, but then that could be said of a lot of films which have made good money. Often the trick here is the execution and the lead actor's ability to get us to empathise with his original position so that we not only believe his transformation into a better human being, but actually want this for him.

Bronson Pinchot plays the central role; you may remember him from such films as True Romance (1993) as well as Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) at a period when his career, dare I say, experienced a Serge. Since then he has spent many years in the television wilderness, working steadily. It may be that I mostly remember him as a comic actor which makes the first part of the film, where he is playing the repulsive Clayton, less convincing. However, following his drinking bout and the unwelcome attention from the town's people, Pinchot is able to spread his acting wings a little more putting in a much better performance as the scared and vulnerable Clayton, who lives in fear of losing the competition.

As well as his many other roles, Brauer also acted as the cinematographer on the film and I can’t help but feel that trying to fulfil so many roles was only to the detriment of the movie. I’m all for auteur film making, but you have to be a bit of a genius - too much creative control is usually a bad move - just look at the first of the new Star Wars films.

The film contains some good set pieces but overall it lacks a certain something, money and other peoples input possibly. That said, with some better supporting actors, some are obviously amateurs, and some more money thrown at the movie it would have made a good, though average, comedy. As it is its failings tend to distract from the good parts of the film.

It is difficult to say how the finished disc will look; the review copy was very soft, maybe a problem with its low budget, poor encoding or presentation. The review copy had a strange letter box aspect ratio which would not be acceptable on a finished product. The PR blurb claims the finished DVD will feature a 16:9 picture with a 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound track as well as behind the scene footage and optional Spanish subtitles. The only extra presented on my disc was a paltry trailer.

It is a brave attempt and with a little more money and input could have been okay, but as it is, the film is average fare.

5

Charles Packer