Nude Study

This wonderful--if provocatively named--film clearly takes artistic inspiration from works like Peter Greenaway's THE PILLOW BOOK (except that NUDE STUDY offers a stronger plot than that film).

While NUDE STUDY starts slowly, taking care with the introduction of Sarah--its damaged central character, it takes flight when she ventures into the wilds of arctic Canada to explore a path toward what must become self-fulfillment or utter destruction.

It is filled with powerful and exotic images--from ocean scenes in Australia to the northern lights in arctic Yukon, to say nothing of the painterly bits of cinema which give the film its name. It also boasts a compelling score and marvelous acting from a beautiful cast of unknowns. Put simply, it is a film which I plan to add to my collection.

Often brutal yet often just as tender, NUDE STUDY is a sensual, gritty, romantic, beat poem counterpoint to 2009's excellent I AM LOVE. And lovers of artful explorations into the human condition may be hard-pressed to find its equal this year.