Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

jeffersontao This is one of my favorite movies of all time! Probably number two on my mental list. The cast is superb. I can't imagine anyone else filling the parts more perfectly. The imagery and the very way the movie is presented is a work of art. It's like art imitating life imitating art. There is also musical treats, for one, Delibes "The Flower Duet" from his opera "Lakme,"! From my Taoist perspective, this movie reflects the wisdom of letting life happen instead of trying to aggressively make it happen. When Polly tried to be something she was not meant to be, the results were disastrous. When she finally realized her inner nature was not a weakness, but her strength, she triumphed! Mary Joseph was the catalyst that made Polly finally begin to realize she was not some freak by defending the photo on the floor, and clarifying her own relationship with Gabrielle. It was especially interesting when Polly and Gabrielle were chatting about relationships and society during one of Polly's dreams. The Freudian quote reflects a wisdom that has been lost in time, but still very valid and true. This movie also mirrors the disconnect and love/hate relationships between artists and art critics. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone under 30 unless you are the "old soul" type or somewhat intellectual. Otherwise, you won't get it, and there's no special effects, graphic violence or steamy sex. The insight and wisdom required to understand a movie such as this comes mostly with age. I have also known people that have acquired such insight via LSD, as I probably did, but I DO NOT RECOMMEND that route! The reasons why are because it's 40 years too late, Timothy Leary is dead, and without such a guide as he, the side effects from an illegally or poorly manufactured drug would be dangerous and deadly!

claudewadams I would love to embrace Canadian cinema. I really would. And I don't mind a little weirdness. But mermaids in Lake Ontario? Silly words passing as satire? Somebody owes me an hour and twenty minutes. That's what I squandered on this foolishness masked as art. Please tell me we can do better than this. (And the thing was taxpayer-funded!) Good grief! They tell me people stood up at Cannes when it was over. What did they do immediately after standing up? Was it a polite exodus, or was it a stampede. How could you "spoil" this? In the final scene, after the credits, Polly opens the door to her squalid apartment we see a forest scene. They wander off to together and we go to black. Hello! This is one of those films, conceived in a disgruntled moment, that needs subtitles to guide us thru the morass of symbolism and allusion

fedor8 An intelligent and unusual "art house"-type movie about a modest and eccentric dreamer (McCarthy). This low-key comedy melodrama isn't pretentious, though; quite to the contrary - it makes fun of pretentious bull***t-talk that takes place in the pop-art scene. The comments two of these "art experts" make while evaluating a series of paintings is very funny and effective; stuff like "his boyish bravado has a certain charm", "he is somewhat incapacitated by his emotions", "New York is wild for his oblique pragmatism", "the static structure is offset by his whimsical sociological references", "there is a hopefulness in his contextural destruction", or "the lack of resolution of his themes almost adds to a vaguely literal internal transformation of the subject" (my favourite). And while the two are spouting off this verbal malarkey, McCarthy eavesdrops on their conversation and naively nods. McCarthy is perfectly cast, totally convincing, and easily the best in an obscure cast. Two plot twists at the end. An interesting soundtrack.If you're interested in reading my extensive satire of modern art, "Picasso", contact me by e-mail.

grahammeredithjones This is a wonderful film. I first saw it back in the eighties and it is still fresh in the mind. The title is a quote from T S Eliot and refers to epiphany. There seem to be a lot of spiritual references. Did everyone else not notice the significance in the older woman being named Gabrielle and the younger Mary? Gabrielle could not create what the earthier Mary could but was her muse. I am not sure of this but Polly in the Canadian accent sounds like Paul-y. The disseminator of the faith? Any comments from anyone? Yes it was small budget but still beautiful. Polly was hilarious. I loved Mary (not that she would be likely to give me the time of day). Check out a book that the actress, Ann-Marie MacDonald, wrote: Fall on Your Knees.Anybody know where I can get the DVD in London?