The Art of Getting By

This movie is beyond pointless. It is privileged teenage delusions presented as something substantial and relatable. I do not want to talk about the technical aspects of the movie as they are not important compared to the pointlessness of the story and characters. It is soo pointless that I would have liked to stop this review three sentences ago if it were not for the minimal length requirement. The writer of the movie must be a privileged no-lifer to think that this story and these characters would mean anything to people with real problems in life.

Yeah buddy, you are so cool that you do not know what cosine is, we get it.

I loved this movie. Remined me of when I was in high school, by the way Im only 20 yrs old. Rmeinded me of the people I dealt in high school, teachers, not having a lot of friends, girls I met over time.

Here is a short summary of the movie George played by Freddie Highmore, is a senior in high school who narrates throughout the movie, is does not do his homework or listen in class instead he draws sketches and doodles. After a few days George meets this girl Sally played by Emma Roberts who becomes friends with him and falls in love with him, well George doesn't know what to feel and ends up losing her, he get a last chance to complete all his work for a whole yearn in order to graduate high school given to him by his principal. George lives with his mom and stepdad who lost his job and is leaving them. Towards the end of the movie George has to complete an art project, one project of the whole year in order to graduate and ends up painting an awesome portrait.

Great artistic drama with some comedy scenes that will make you laugh, because they remind you of when you were young and in school. Great cast. Especially Emma Roberts and Freddie Highmore, the two main people in the film.

I recommend this movie for people who love art, who likes romantic/drama films, and everyone else.

I bummed it did not make its way to theaters and got only a release at the Sundance Film Festival and on DVD and bluray. This movie could of done very well at the box office.

I give it 7 out of 10 stars, for its great cast, great plot and great story.

So I happened to notice quite a great deal of people hold negative opinions on this movie. That's why I wanted to share my 2 cents.

Basically, the movie was what I expected it to be. Meaning: no blockbuster, no real Hollywood production, no mind-blowing action. A movie with a slice of life, just like 500 Days of Summer (come to think of it, it gets close to it in some ways, even if perhaps a little less mature). If you're looking for these exact characteristics, you may be better of looking for a different movie.

So what to expect from it? First of all: it does not aim towards shocking you. It delivers a message, apparent from the introduction we get at the start of the movie. Starting a movie with a quote is bold, yet it's also original and different. It sets the tone perfectly. So George is this high-school guy who has a different hobby, drawing. He gets so worked up in it that when he does, he loses sight of all his surroundings (anyone who's creative will relate, as do I). On top of this he holds a pessimistic view on life, basically saying 'we're all going to die anyway so what's the point'? Now I know a lot of people will consider this to be 'emo' or whatever, but it's not. Honestly. I plead guilty: I myself often think in this manner. In fact, I can relate so much to George that by the end of the movie, I sat with my mouth open, totally freaked out and overwhelmed, still am. He's the different one, the outcast, the guy nobody knows and everyone ignores. Yet people tend to forget that being quiet doesn't equal being an uninteresting person. On the contrary: this movie likes to show us the other side of the coin. So my conclusion would be that if you often feel misunderstood, or have lost motivation for life in general, this movie would definitely be the way to go, as it requires a certain mindset I believe...

What is so interesting about the movie, is that we see a great deal of changes in George's life from the moment he meets Sally. It triggers different actions and revelations in his life that are irreversible, as is often the case with love in real life too. It basically shows us that loved ones can change one's life for the better, even in a not always positive way. Love surpasses most joys of life, as it surpasses most of its burdens.

There were times when I was slightly annoyed. I was aware there were times where I would tell myself 'just do it/just say it!'. There are many awkward silences in the movie, which are automatically transferred to the watcher's feelings. I wanted to jump into the movie, help G. out, because life can be difficult, more so when you're an introvert. And even more so when love's involved. (personal rant ahead) The world of today is all about extroverts, people who are eloquent and sociable, certainly not something George can boast about.

The amount of growth George shows while struggling with his problems really makes the movie. You see him get out of his shell, while not losing his edge. It's not your typical American movie with happy ending, all's well that ends well. Again, just like life is a lot of the time.

I'd advise anyone to have a look. This movie has been a hidden gem for me and it perfectly fits my taste for movies. Be prepared for some thinking and awkwardness from time to time and when that's OK with you, you'll love it. If this is not what appeals to you, then it will probably not be your cup of tea. If you are an artist and have lost motivation and/or inspiration, you should feel compelled to absorb what this movie has to offer.

If you do enjoy this movie, don't forget to take a look at: '500 days of Summer' and 'It's kind of a funny story', which both are pretty close in terms of atmosphere to this one.

This was one of those understated-on-purpose films which I normally adore: except I didn't. There has to be some type of excellence in these little indies which invite a second look -- great acting, original concepts, exceptional dialog, beautiful art direction, etc. -- but in this case, none of the above applies. The Art of Getting By lives up to its name by just scraping by on its formulaic mediocrity in every category.

Freddy Highmore and Emma Roberts play high school students in the city, from different from different social classes even though they both go to an expensive private school. George (Highmore) also happens to be a loner/misfit who has a bad case of that teen angst we all can recognize: everything's pointless, why bother doing homework, we're all going to die anyway, yadda yadda. He's got all his justifications figured out, and then one day he develops a hard crush on Sally (Roberts), and suddenly sees that there may be a point to things after all. But of course there are personal problems and home life to drive a wedge between their budding maybe/sorta romance, including George's inability to express his feelings in any way except through his art. So the stereotype of the misunderstood loner/misfit is carried through quite predictably, exactly as we have all seen it in two dozen other films about teenagers.

Highmore and Roberts are good-looking and competent actors, judging by what I've seen of their work elsewhere. Here, however, they fizzle. There is simply no chemistry between their characters. Roberts may be able to get by on her stunning good looks, but lip-twisting and -twitching do not a convincing actress make; she merely sleepwalks through her lines. We the audience are never shown what it is about her (other than striking eyes) which attracts George. George does have a few moments of good dialog which could have been gold in the hands of a motivated actor, but the constant wooden expressions on his face undermine them; he is blank even when tears are running down his cheeks. How the heck are we supposed to care about his personal crisis? I will say in its favor that TAOGB does have some standout minor characters; the adults in George's life which, for the most part, are well-acted. I especially liked his art teacher's over-the-top intensity. George's mom is also wonderfully cast for the role of a tired woman just trying to hold her family together. And what's up with Alicia Silverstone as a frumpy schoolmarm?!?..but it works, oddly enough.

So in short, TAOGB wasn't a disaster, but I just can't see anybody citing it for outstanding, well, *anything* in the years to come.

This is one of those movies that starts out well but seems to disappoint in the end.

It's beautifully shot and edited, and we see many fine performances. I found Emma Roberts particularly appealing, as she has a dour, come-hither look in her dark eyes about 95% of the time. What Ingrid Bergman could achieve by looking down, Roberts does by looking almost right at us.

Freddie Highmore looks and feels authentic. His character has a lot of choices to make, many of which go against all common sense. But although he drives us crazy, he's intriguing and we want to know what's to happen to him.

Mid-movie, the characters are hit with several crises, and it gets interesting as we wonder how they'll resolve them. When resolution strikes, though, it's so conventional that it's disappointing. The expected is unexpected.

Yup, it has indie-feel and Sundance all over it. But I was hoping for a big surprise at the end from these flawed but good people; instead, they seemed to abandon what they had stood for. And what may have qualified as a surprise involving Roberts was simply unbelievable and too convenient to accept. Though I was happy for them, a simple, happy ending didn't feel right with these non-simple characters.

But then, maybe, that was the point.