The Art of Getting By is a short, but beautifully crafted film with two very talented kid actors as the leads. Freddie Highmore, who is remembered as the plucky Charlie in Charlie in the Chocolate Factory and in The August Rush, has now grown up and is on to more serious pictures. He plays George, a High School Senior not caring about his schoolwork or life and just blowing off assignments by either watching TV, smoking, or just laying in bed listening to music.
His philosophy is that if he is going to die sooner or later, why must he deal with silly things like Algebra and Art class? He believes everything is an allusion and it all isn't worth his time. He is attracted to one of his classmates named Sally (Roberts) who he covers for when she is almost caught smoking on the school rooftop. George and Sally become close friends by cutting class and talking to each other at lunch.
At a Career Fair, George and Sally meet Dustin (Angarano) an aspiring artist who recently graduates and paints abstract paintings with a free spirit. Dustin and Sally begin to become attracted to one other, much to George's dismay. He wants Sally to be his friend and not be swept away by another man. He just can't admit it.
A lot of dialog is exchanged between the two kids, George and his teacher, and George and his mom and step-father. All this dialog flows perfectly and really sets the tone for the movie as a very dramatic film that has a main character going through a "what's the point of this" midlife crisis without even being in his "midlife." The Art of Getting By dares to be different with its very colorful filming and clear indie film style. It is very artsy, and almost reminds me of another independent comedy called Good Dick about a helpless video store clerk trying to date a strange woman who just wants to be alone and free of trouble.
I really liked the character of George. We usually see characters like this in their late forties or fifties. Not a very young boy who is this confused about life. Something about that premise just works and we rarely see it. He isn't quite depressed and he isn't quite helpless since he has the opportunity to fix his problem. It's almost like there is a conflict, but really there isn't one.
The beautiful Emma Roberts is here showing off her acting capabilities, and hopefully this means she will be doing a lot more independently made films rather than a lot of Hollywood films. Her and Highmore have extremely remarkable chemistry on screen and it goes to show that both could be on to bigger things in their lifetime.
The Art of Getting By isn't one for everyone. It may seem slow to some, but well paced to others. Being the only one in the theater, I can pretty much assume that movies like Green Lantern and Mr. Popper's Penguins overshadow this work of art. Trust me, it has more than both can live up to. You can either see another superhero flick, a movie with an over the top comedian playing the secondhand man to half a dozen penguins, or see this lovely and very well put together drama film. Take your pick.
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, and Michael Angarano. Directed by: Gavin Wiesen.
His philosophy is that if he is going to die sooner or later, why must he deal with silly things like Algebra and Art class? He believes everything is an allusion and it all isn't worth his time. He is attracted to one of his classmates named Sally (Roberts) who he covers for when she is almost caught smoking on the school rooftop. George and Sally become close friends by cutting class and talking to each other at lunch.
At a Career Fair, George and Sally meet Dustin (Angarano) an aspiring artist who recently graduates and paints abstract paintings with a free spirit. Dustin and Sally begin to become attracted to one other, much to George's dismay. He wants Sally to be his friend and not be swept away by another man. He just can't admit it.
A lot of dialog is exchanged between the two kids, George and his teacher, and George and his mom and step-father. All this dialog flows perfectly and really sets the tone for the movie as a very dramatic film that has a main character going through a "what's the point of this" midlife crisis without even being in his "midlife." The Art of Getting By dares to be different with its very colorful filming and clear indie film style. It is very artsy, and almost reminds me of another independent comedy called Good Dick about a helpless video store clerk trying to date a strange woman who just wants to be alone and free of trouble.
I really liked the character of George. We usually see characters like this in their late forties or fifties. Not a very young boy who is this confused about life. Something about that premise just works and we rarely see it. He isn't quite depressed and he isn't quite helpless since he has the opportunity to fix his problem. It's almost like there is a conflict, but really there isn't one.
The beautiful Emma Roberts is here showing off her acting capabilities, and hopefully this means she will be doing a lot more independently made films rather than a lot of Hollywood films. Her and Highmore have extremely remarkable chemistry on screen and it goes to show that both could be on to bigger things in their lifetime.
The Art of Getting By isn't one for everyone. It may seem slow to some, but well paced to others. Being the only one in the theater, I can pretty much assume that movies like Green Lantern and Mr. Popper's Penguins overshadow this work of art. Trust me, it has more than both can live up to. You can either see another superhero flick, a movie with an over the top comedian playing the secondhand man to half a dozen penguins, or see this lovely and very well put together drama film. Take your pick.
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, and Michael Angarano. Directed by: Gavin Wiesen.