Art
So here are even more movies, in no particular order, that we’ve seen and recommend you put your feet up and spend some time relaxing and going on an arty journey with.
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Starring: Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman and Stellan Skarsgård Directed by: Miloš Forman
Goya’s Ghosts is a 2006 biographical drama film, directed by Miloš Forman and written by him and Jean-Claude Carrière.
The painter Goya becomes involved with the Spanish Inquisition when his muse, Ines, is arrested by the church for heresy. Her father, Thomas, comes to him hoping that his connection with Brother Lorenzo, whom he is painting, can secure the release of his daughter.
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Starring: Yolande Moreau Directed by: Martin Provost
The film follows the life of a middle-aged housekeeper, Séraphine Louis, who has a remarkable talent for painting. A shepherdess, Séraphine uses crude materials like dirt and animal blood to create paintings. A German art critic notices her work and helps her pave her path to success.
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Starring: Noriko Shinohara and Ushio Directed by: Zachary Heinzerling
This documentary focuses on the chaotic 40-year marriage of two artists, Noriko Shinohara and her husband the boxing painter Ushio, featuring original artwork by the couple. Director Heinzerling said of the couple: “When I first met [the Shinoharas], I was just struck by the raw spirit and beauty that emanates from their faces, their lifestyle, their art, everything about them has so much purpose and character. Even if you don’t speak Japanese, even if you have no previous knowledge of their artwork or who they are, you’re immediately captivated by their presence. They live in a world that’s kind of a time warp that hearkens back to the ‘70s New York SoHo art scene that is sort of canonized in history, certainly from my point of view.”
Love bold, recycled sculpture? Check out the work of Stephen Baxter
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Starring: Robert Gulaczyk, Douglas Booth, Saoirse Ronan and Chris O’Dowd
Directed by: Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman
Loving Vincent is a biographical drama film about the life of painter Vincent van Gogh. It is the world’s first fully oil painted animated film and brings his artwork to life in an exploration of the death of one of history’s most celebrated artists. A true labour of love, written and directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, each of the film’s 65,000 frames is an oil painting on canvas, using the same technique as Van Gogh, created by a team of 115 painters.
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Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough and Toby Jones
Directed by: Will Sharpe
The extraordinary true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose playful, sometimes even psychedelic pictures helped to transform the public’s perception of cats forever. Moving from the late 1800s through to the 1930s, we follow the incredible adventures of this inspiring, unsung hero, as he seeks to unlock the “electrical” mysteries of the world and, in so doing, to better understand his own life and the profound love he shared with his wife Emily Richardson (Claire Foy).
Love cats? Discover cat inspired artworks you’ll love
Shop for Cat Inspired Artworks
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Starring: Nigel Terry, Sean Bean and Tilda Swinton Directed by: Derek Jarman
Derek Jarman’s most profound reflection on art, sexuality and identity retells the life of the celebrated 17th-century painter through his brilliant, nearly blasphemous paintings and his flirtations with the underworld. Caravaggio incorporates the painter’s precise aesthetic into the movie’s own visuals, while touching on all of Jarman’s major concerns: history, homosexuality, violence and the relationship between painting and film.
Love the art of Caravaggio? Check the Caravaggio inspired work of Sangeeta Mahajan
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Starring: Marina Abramovic Directed by: Matthew Akers
An incredibly fascinating look at the life and work of Yugoslav performance artist Marina Abramovic as she prepares for her landmark solo show at MoMA New York. The show itself featured 50 works spanning four decades, many of which ere collaborations with former lover and co-creator Ulay (Uwe Laysiepen). One of the most moving scenes from the film features Ulay appearing before Marina on the opening night – footage of which has been viewed close to 30 million times. The documentary also serves as a critique on performance art itself and its often misunderstood relationship with society and culture.
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Starring: Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall Directed by: Adrian Noble
Mrs Lowry & Son starring Timothy Spall and Vanessa Redgrave as mother and son in its simplicity is about a relationship between one of Britain’s most iconic artist L S Lowry and his mother Elizabeth with whom he lived until her death.
The film follows bachelor Lowry who takes care of his invalid mother, in the beginnings of his career. He yearns for his work to be appreciated in London, in spite of a mother who tries to dissuade him from pursuing his artistic ambitions. She never fails to voice her opinion at what a disappointment he is to her. Yet, love is at the very heart of this film as Lowry desperately seeks to create something, anything, which will make her happy.
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Starring: Valentina Cervi and Michel Serrault Directed by: Agnès Merlet
Artemesia is a film that portrays the life and career of seventeenth century painter Artemisia Gentileschi (Valentina Cervi). Breaking the boundaries of both artistic and social conventions in terms of what it was possible for a woman to do, she becomes the victim of a notorious legal battle.
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Starring: Vik Muniz Directed by: Lucy Walker
Located just outside Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Gramacho, Brazil, is the world’s largest garbage landfill. Modern artist Vik Muniz works with the so-called catadores, the men and women who pick through the refuse, to create art out of recycled materials. Muniz selects six of the garbage pickers to pose as subjects in a series of photographs mimicking famous paintings. In his desire to assist the catadores and change their lives, Muniz finds himself changed as well.
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Starring: Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke Directed by: Aisling Walsh
Maudie is a film about the life of Maud Lewis, one of the most beloved folk artists of 20th century Canada.
Maud who suffers from severe arthritis, is hired as a housekeeper by reclusive local fish peddler Everett Lewis. Despite her crippled hands, Maud yearns to be independent and to live away from her overprotective family, but most of all, she wants to create art. An unlikely romance blossoms between herself and Everett, as she determinedly hones her skills despite her pain, and overcomes the physical challenge of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She eventually rises to become one of Canada’s premier folk artists, whose paintings hang in The White House.
Love bold and colourful landscapes? Check out the work of Susan Trudinger
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Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, and Jack Black Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Based upon the memoir of the same name by cartoonist John Callahan. On the rocky path to sobriety after a life-changing accident, John discovers the healing power of art, willing his injured hands into drawing hilarious, often controversial cartoons. The budding artist soon finds himself with a new lease on life when his edgy and irreverent newspaper cartoons gain a national and devoted following.
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Directed by: Don Argott
This 2009 film looks at the controversy surrounding the art collection of Dr. Albert C. Barnes, a millionaire who amassed a remarkable selection of significant works during the early 20th century. Barnes sought to keep his priceless pieces together as part of his foundation even after his death, but the involvement of numerous parties led to the scattering of his collection. This documentary sheds light on how his wishes were violated by a handful of opportunistic individuals.
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Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson and Cillian Murphy Directed by: Peter Webber
When her father goes blind, Griet (Scarlett Johansson) must go to work as a maid for painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). While cleaning the house, Griet strikes up an unlikely friendship with Vermeer, which both agree to keep secret for fear of provoking the painter’s jealous wife, Catharina (Essie Davis). When wealthy patron Van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson) begins to lust after Griet, and commissions a painting of her, Vermeer and Griet are obliged to spend long hours alone together.
Love art inspired by the masters like Vermeer ? Discover the art of Jeska Valk
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Starring: Timothy Spall, Dorothy Atkinson, Paul Jesson and Marion Bailey Directed by: Mike Leigh
Spanning the last 25 years in the life of Britain’s most revered, and eccentric, painter J.M.W. Turner (Timothy Spall), the film Mr. Turner is a rich portrait of a complex, contradictory man. Living his last years with gusto he secretly becomes involved with a seaside landlady, while his faithful housekeeper bears an unrequited love for him.
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Directed by: Tamra Davis
A portrait of a renowned artist this documentary shines the spotlight on New York City painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. Featuring extensive interviews conducted by Basquiat’s friend filmmaker Tamra Davis the production reveals how he dealt with being a black artist in a predominantly white field.
Love Street Art? Discover work by Australian artists you’ll love
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