Words & Pictures

Once Jack Marcus (Clive Owen) was a celebrated writer. But he hasn't written anything in years and drowns his frustrations in alcohol and cynicism. He also only does his work at a boarding school in New England routinely, which could actually cost him his job now. But of course Jack doesn't want to give up that easily. The fact that now of all times the undercooled painter Dina Desalto (Juliette Binoche) takes over the art lessons at the school and thus becomes a direct competitor for Jack, makes things not exactly easier. A lusty feud quickly develops between the two, as Dina claims that fine art is more important than the written word. And of course, Jack can't let that stand. He challenges Dina to a duel that soon becomes about much more than words and pictures.

Words & Pictures director Fred Schepisi (Roxanne, Wild Creatures) has staged a very charming comedy about an intellectual duel of a special kind. Is a picture really worth a thousand words? Or is the written word superior, after all, they say the pen is mightier than the sword. The way Jack and Dina try to present their respective art forms as the better and more important one is wonderful to watch just because of the wonderful dialogues. The two main actors Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche play a crucial role in the success of these scenes. Sparks fly between the two of them, both on an intellectual and emotional level.

This humorous part of the film is repeatedly interspersed with serious moments, showing the baggage these two so talented people must carry around. On one side is Jack, who seemingly throws away his talent for alcohol, leaving only chaos and emotional destruction in his path. Time and time again he has the opportunity to feel happiness, whether it's through cementing his relationship with his son, keeping his job, or just through Dina. But each time, he himself stands in the way of his happiness, making him a rather tragic figure underneath his always cheerful, quick-witted facade. It's a similar story for Dina, who can't paint like she used to due to an illness in her joints. As a result, she has lost any spark of joie de vivre. It is only Jack, in his own special way, who manages to breathe some passion back into her.

From time to time, Words & Pictures gets lost in subplots. For instance, there's a subplot involving Dina's best student Emily (Valerie Tian), who is constantly harassed by a classmate with whom Jack has a special relationship. This part of the story does have its merits overall. But it is dealt with far too quickly after a lengthy build-up. The student, who always seems to take a central role in the first third, then just disappears from the film without a sound. It's little weak points like these that prevent Words & Pictures from fully developing its potential and at times even threatens to drift into the shallow.

However, even if Fred Schepisi hasn't managed to hit the big time, his film as a whole has become a very nice mixture of drama and romantic comedy with two wonderful lead actors. With a lot of charm and wit, Words & Pictures spreads a lot of good humor despite some rather dark character moments and makes sure that the audience leaves the cinema with a lot of joy in their hearts. And for that there is a very clear: Worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp