Movie Review: Words and Pictures


You most likely haven't heard of the movie Words and Pictures, but it's a film that you should check out. With veteran actors Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche in the lead roles, the movie sizzles with chemistry, and although the pace is a bit slow, the story itself is a good one.

Jack Marcus (Owen) teaches English at a prep school in Maine. Renowned artist Dina Delsanto (Binoche) joins the faculty to teach Art Honors, and everyone is intrigued by her; she keeps to herself, and rumor is that she's partially given up painting due to her arthritis. Jack challenges Dina with his opinion that words are more important than pictures, and just like that, they start a school-wide war between the Honors English and the Arts Honors students, one which must be seen until its conclusion. Jack is also besotted with Dina, but he has a drinking problem, which is hindering his ability to do his teaching job, as well.

Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche were great in this movie, as was the supporting cast. I haven't seen either of them on the big screen in quite a while, and they both did very well in their roles. Both of their characters are very multifaceted - they both have a lot going on in their lives - and their clash of personalities was interesting to watch. The scenery in the film is gorgeous, as well, as it takes place in rural Maine, at the prep school where they both work, for the most part.

Yes, see this film. You may have to scour Fandango or Google to find it at an indie theater near you, but it's worth seeing. I would say it's geared towards older audiences, but there is no reason that 20-somethings like myself wouldn't also like this movie. I like that the film has a clear beginning, middle, and end, even though in some parts it was a bit slow for me (one of my pet peeves with movies is a slow pace). This is a movie that probably won't make it on to most moviegoers' radar, but you should make sure that it makes it on to yours.

Words and Pictures is currently playing in theaters, and is rated PG-13 with a runtime of 111 minutes. 3.5 stars out of 5.

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