Title: Words and Pictures

Director: Fred Schepisi

Voices: Juliette Binoche, Clive Owen, Keegan Connor Tracy, Amy Brenneman, Bruce Davison.

Italian award winning film director, Nanni Moretti, in one of his movies forged the emblematic phrase “words are important,” and further explained: “Who doesn’t speak well doesn’t think well and doesn’t live well! It’s necessary to find the right words: words are important!” At the same time the world of arts has attested that the evocative power of images is just as important. Hence, director Fred Schepisi chose an excellent dichotomy to raise the debate as to which of the two is more influential.

‘Words and Pictures’ shows how an art instructor and an English teacher form a rivalry that ends up with a competition at their school, in which students decide whether words or pictures are more important. This witty romantic drama, stars the engaging duo of Juliette Binoche and Clive Owen working together on screen for the first time. The two actors definitely succeed in creating intriguing, multidimensional and relatable characters, and their chemistry is extraordinary and authentic: they embody a non sugar-coated –yet tender – romance between two middle-aged teachers. They don’t live happily ever after, they come to terms with each other.

The Melbourne director and producer, known for ‘Rozanne’ (1987), ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ (1993) and ‘A Cry in the Dark’ (1988), has returned with an intimate portrait of a tangible human relationship between two people who are perfectly aware of their shortcomings and don’t hide them, through an elevated cultural dialectic, dressed with humour and drama.

Technical: B

Acting: A

Story: B+

Overall: B+

Written by: Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi