Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

wolfgirlriderok As an art student, I hated this film. It's just garbage.Absolutely full to the brim of clichés that on the surface ring true (stoners, goths, hippies, queer folk, hardcore feminists all make appearances in art school) but these characters are pure 2D cardboard cut out 'characters' only included so the audience can laugh at them.Speaking as a representational artist, I hate that this heavily biased toward the idea that representational art is superior to abstract art. It wreaks of immaturity and not actually understanding the purpose of it.Forced romance, terribly unlikable characters with unbelievable lines that are delivered terribly.

soccer_shock This movie just does its own thang. As a creative artsy fartsy type, very amusing to watch and a great ride. Forget the ratings, if you're artsy fartsy, watch this film and see for yourself what a bunch of weirdos the filmmakers were. I'd recommend this movie to anyone looking for something surprising and unconventional. Tip: don't watch the trailer or read the synopsis before watching! This is definitely one of my all time favs, a truly cooky film that is not so outdated. Sometimes you just have to trust the reviews of people that liked the film and take a leap of faith that it'll be entertaining. I too often judge movies by the ratings but I'm glad I ended up watching this one. Take a leap of faith artsy people

rzajac Art School Confidential, the movie, is a sort of self-parody. This is a beautiful movie cleverly disguised as a movie that can't pull off the necessary airs to pass itself off as high art.The key to understanding the movie lies in your being able to home in on the most important factor: That Jerome just might be a great and true artist, bizarrely ensconced in an environment in which everyone is a poseur--and that includes the professors.It's like other Zwigoff movies; like "Bad Santa", for instance. Bad Santa may just be the greatest Christmas movie ever made; the one movie that really succeeds in delivering the truth of Christmas. And, satiric romp though it may be, Art School Confidential may be a window into the odyssey of a born artist, stuck in a nightmarish universe in which he is the only person who understands what beauty is, and therefore why it is truly important that he study it, learn it, and create it. When we understand this, *then* we can truly feel it when Jerome is subjected to indignities, and when he looks out a window and sees something so beautiful that it transports him.IMDb commenter/raters generally short-shrifted it. I suspect we need more Jerome-hearted people to watch it; it could turn the tide.

rooprect For the first half hour, I thought this was going to be a slightly artistic version of "American Pie", "Back to School" or the standard freshman college romp. But slowly, strangely the story deepens, darkens and widens until by the end it has completely transformed itself into a stunning commentary about the human condition.Most of the laughs are up front, and even so, they're not real zingers so much as they are low-key situational humour (like in a John Cusack film). As the outer layers of this film are peeled away, we see that it becomes more of a macabre mystery, and ultimately it becomes a psychological/social drama about how we deal with self-expression.I think if you're an artist, musician, filmmaker, chef, or any type of creative person who respects individual expression, you'll get a lot out of this film. Even if you're just a casual patron of the arts, you'll find it interesting because it asks some pointed questions about the nature of art. Should art be treated separately from the artist (do we have the right to glorify the art of a scumbag)? And to what degree should people be allowed to express themselves? How about the very nature of art--does it always have to be new & shocking? Where does actual talent fit in? These are all themes that weave in & out of the story while the story itself is about something completely different. There's definitely a lot going on here.The movie is rated R, but really it's rather tame. There's not much profanity, no gratuitous sex, no blood & guts. However we do get a lengthy shot of a man's crankshaft. Oh yeah, we also see about 50 pictures of a man's scrotum on a wall. It's all in funny, artistic context... if you can believe that.The key to enjoying this film to its fullest is to realize that it's a deadpan satire, much like "Catch-22", where the humour is based on outrageous stereotypes and preposterous (though believable) situations. The mood, particularly toward the end, reminded me of "Death at a Funeral" (original version), the way it takes such an irreverent approach to serious matters. And the humour itself is, like I said, a lot like a John Cusack movie ("Say Anything", "Better Off Dead") though somewhat toned down. Though predictable at times (deliberately?), I felt the ultimate payoff was very satisfying, and I highly recommend this to anyone who likes dark comedy ("Heathers", "Grand Theft Parsons").