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| Movie Review: My Kid Could Paint That Alternate Title: Be Careful What You Wish For
Story: This is a thought provoking
documentary about art, exploitation, hype, the proverbial 15 minutes
of fame, the power of the media, parenting and the role of documentary
film makers. You might recall the story of four year old Marla
Olmstead who made International news with her abstract paintings.
She went from an art world phenom, selling her work for thousands of
dollars, to pariah, after a negative Charlie Rose 60 Minutes 11
piece within a short period of time. Director Amir Bar-Lev's
fascinating documentary covers lots of ground from the nature of art
to the marketing of a child that garnered enormous press and instant
celebrity. The filmmaker was well into creating a positive
documentary about this story when the 60 Minutes piece broke. His questions
about the authenticity of the story evolves. Is he now becoming a part
of the story? Did little Marla create the work herself? Did her amateur
artist father help her? Why can't she create her work when being filmed
by outside media? Does it matter if she did not make the art herself?
Does that make the art any less valid? Bar-Lev talks to NY Times art
critic Michael Kimmelman, who discusses the nature of art and he also
speaks with the reporter who started the whole story, the gallery owner
who promotes her work, the collectors and lots of footage on the family
itself. Judge for yourself. For those art lovers out there who still think
art stopped bring art when the Impressionists died, I am sorry to inform
you that most art is, in fact commerce. The Impressionists too, were
marketers who enjoyed seeing a red dot on the art gallery wall and hearing
the ka-ching of a sale. The market dictates the value of art and whether
it is created by a child, an elephant or a schooled technician, it is
still art. Taste, however, is another story. If you want to see more on the Marla story and
also see her paint, check out her website. http://www.marlaolmstead.com
By the way - the Marla story continues. Her parents
are very resilient and she recently had a show in LA where her paintings
are going for over $25,000. Acting: If you think the whole story is a fraud then
kudos to her parents - who fooled us all with some amazing acting. Predilection: Hello? I am an artist. This is my interest.
Critters: A dog.
Food: Breakfast stuff. Marla likes to paint when
she gets up in the morning, after breakfast - or so they say.
Sex Spectrum: No sex - unless you can find some in
the abstract art.
Blatant Product Placement: Marla is the product.
Soundtrack: Appropriate. I particularly liked the
closing title song - When I Paint My Masterpiece by Bob
Dylan.
Visual Art: Lots and lots of art other than Marla's
including many abstract expressionists such as Robert Motherwell
and Jackson Pollock
Theater Audience: About a dozen art lovers.
Weather: It was surprisingly nice in Binghamton, NY,
where Marla and her family live.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: The idea of child exploitation is a
bit squirmy.
Drift Factor: I was intent throughout.
Predictability Level: If you do not know the story
you will be a little surprised here and there.
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: No
Soap Box: I could rant on and on about the nature
of art, the business of art, what styles I like in art - but that is
for another time and another place.
Big Screen or Rental: Rental would be fine. For other
films about artists you could rent: Alice Neel, My Architect, Vincent
and Theo, Basquiat, Pollock, I Shot Andy Warhol, Crumb, Artemisia, Surviving
Picasso and Frida
Length: 90 minutes
LOBO HOWLS: 8
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