Zachary Heinzerling's wonderful documentary "Cutie and the Boxer" is about the Japanese action painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, the graphic artist Noriko and their life together in New York. Ushio was eighty when the film begins, (Noriko is 21 years younger than him), and it shows him at work today preparing for a new exhibition. His action paintings are created by his 'boxing' great daubs of paint onto large canvases, hence the name ' the boxer' while Noriko has created a young girl whom she calls Cutie and her graphic stories are brought beautifully to life in black and white animation. These and the film itself chart the course of their relationship, both personal and working, from their first meeting to the present day in a way that is highly original and really rather sad. Though it is obvious they really love each other the tensions of a working relationship keep bubbling to the surface. When Ushio heads off to Japan to try to sell some of his work Noriko almost feels happy at being left alone. The film is nominated for Best Documentary Feature at this year's Oscars and is very fine.
Review of Cutie and the Boxer
