"The Art of Getting By" is an overly idealistic romantic drama by director Gavin Wiesden. Our hero's George (Freddie Highmore), an East Manhattan high school senior who wears a black trench-coat, hates people and spends his film looking depressed. When he's not doodling in notebooks, George is mumbling about the inevitability of death, the illusionary nature of existence and other morbid tidbits. It's clear he's stuck in an existential rut. Opening scenes even show a copy of Albert Camus' "The Stranger" in his bedroom. Poor kid.
The rest of the film watches as George falls in love with a beautiful young girl (Emma Roberts), loses his virginity, has his heart broken, almost flunks out of school and then "dramatically gets his life back together". It's a sweet film, but the incessant clichés are annoying, characters like this do not quite exist or behave this way in real life and the script's obviously a giant artist/writer's fantasy. In real life George admires Emma from afar, never talks to her, flunks out of school, slips into an existential spiral, pulls himself out ten years later and hooks up with someone way cooler. Just ask Camus.
Like most supposedly "existential" films, George quickly turns his back on all the existential questions he raises, placates himself with sex and opts finally for total conformity.
7/10 – Sweet but slight and too clichéd. See "Art School Confidential", "Harold and Maude" and "Ghost World". Worth one viewing.
The rest of the film watches as George falls in love with a beautiful young girl (Emma Roberts), loses his virginity, has his heart broken, almost flunks out of school and then "dramatically gets his life back together". It's a sweet film, but the incessant clichés are annoying, characters like this do not quite exist or behave this way in real life and the script's obviously a giant artist/writer's fantasy. In real life George admires Emma from afar, never talks to her, flunks out of school, slips into an existential spiral, pulls himself out ten years later and hooks up with someone way cooler. Just ask Camus.
Like most supposedly "existential" films, George quickly turns his back on all the existential questions he raises, placates himself with sex and opts finally for total conformity.
7/10 – Sweet but slight and too clichéd. See "Art School Confidential", "Harold and Maude" and "Ghost World". Worth one viewing.