****.5/*****
Ed Harris's incredible directorial debut (starring himself) is an amazing story of yet another tortured artist. This time the artist is Jackson Pollock a painter whose speckled drip drab canvases made him famous. Starting his career in New York city, Pollock's early works look nothing like his famous material. He got his first big break when Patty Guggenheim sees his work. His first few shows to not go so well as his viewers are not so impressed. Later, he moves to Long Island with his girlfriend, soon to be wife Lee Krasner, his real painting begins. His career, which spands about 15 years, had many ups and downs, successes and failures, as did his life. Throughout all of his ups and downs and his constant bout with sobriety stood his loving wife Lee.
Harris is great in the title performance. He portrays the character's genius and vulnerability, hopelessness and talent all at the same. The entire character can explained just be looking into his eyes. Marcia Gay Harden's performance as Lee is likewise very well crafter. Her dynamic attitude shows as well as her undying love for Pollock.
The acting is very noteworthy, however Ed Harris's direction is a very overlooked aspect of this film. It's beauty, grace, and simplicity is a great supplement to Pollock's complex, tormented life. All the painting scenes, however, are approached much differently. They are much more showy and kinetic like Harris's performance during these scenes. The payoff of these scenes are incredible, as I think that the first painting scene is one of the best moments in movies this year.
There are some problems in the film as well. The film is only 122 minutes yet it feels like so much more. I think that the film was deliberately slow, but either way it could definitely turn some viewers off. Also, despite much insight into the life of the painter Jackson Pollock, the film never gives us a glimpse of his life before being a painter or what made him become the way that he was
Overall, this little film gives a very honest, deep portrayal of a little known and really very incredible artist.
