Movie Review - Local Color

Language: English

Run Time: 107 mins

Distribution: Empire Film Group
Media 8 Entertainment

(Warning: Spoilers included)

It’s a coming of age story. It’s a love story. It’s a story about pursuing your passions in life. It’s a take on the beauty that is around us and the insanity that has fogged our view of that beauty. Most of all it was based on a true story.

Armin Mueller-Stahl gave one of his best performances to date as the aged and troubled painter Nicoli Seroff, whose words of wisdom were almost always ironically in conflict with his actions. And Trevor Morgan as John Talia Jnr. completes this somewhat mismatched duo of painters. One of accomplished background with a bleak perspective of his own future and another an eager talented young dabbler whose enthusiasm is yet to be dimmed by the world around him.

The movie begins with a monologue of supposedly John Talia Jnr.'s older self, though throughout the movie one never really gets to see this narrator in full view. The scene focuses on the younger John in a museum, sketching while others look on in either ridicule or envy all while the monologue attempts to introduce the scope and path of the story.

The setting shifts then to John's house where his father, John Talia Snr. (Ray Liotta) utters his disdain at his son's interest in paintings and sketches. The narrator every so often coming in with bits of information on his dad and his mom, giving a brief overview of what life in that household would have been like. Fast forward to a store where John Jnr. attempts to get one of his art pieces framed but is instead getting tips on how to capture the moment from the store's owner Yammi (Charles Durning). Noticing a painting of Nicoli Seroff, John Jnr inquires on how Yammi came about it and thus the path towards the young John meeting Nicoli was made.

Early meetings between the two were expectedly abrasive but the dogged determination of youth made Nicoli relent in time. Nicoli's refusal to impart the skills of his art were a constant feature and yet he also gave John insights into the perception of things. A push and tug routine that brought them closer as time trodded on.

The introduction of Carla (Samantha Mathis) then gave insight into how Nicoli's bitter self came to be. It was through Carla as well that John was finally able to make headway both for his own self and towards reaching the Nicoli that he come to admire so.

I particularly enjoyed the scenes where Nicoli was made to judge a local art festival in Pennsylvania. As well as scenes of where he helped mentally challenged children draw and paint and what became of those sketches afterwards. Most of all, I enjoyed the transformation of Nicoli from the beginning to the end, perhaps telling us that it is never to late to change. Never too late to be able to see beauty again in all the things of this world. And most importantly, never too late to see the beauty in oneself.

By far my most favourite of 2008. Of course if you're one of those action flick seeking fans, then avoid this at all cost. But for me, personally, my movie of the year.