The Art of Getting By
Directed by Gavin Wiesen
- drama
- romance
The story
George, a lonely and fatalistic teen who's made it all the way to his senior year without ever having done a real day of work, is befriended by Sally, a popular but complicated girl who recognizes in him a kindred spirit.
What it’s like
Soft, sunlit New York autumn: warm window light falling across a teenager's sketchbook, leafy streets, and the dim clutter of a bedroom where a pencil does most of the talking. The look is naturalistic and unhurried, with plenty of quiet two-shot conversations held in mid-distance and careful, unshowy framing of faces against muted interiors. The palette leans toward warm browns, faded greens and cool blue-grey daylight, and the sound is a light, wistful score laid over sparse dialogue and the scratch of charcoal on paper. The vibe is wry and bittersweet, a little restless, with the easy melancholy of youth that is still deciding who it wants to be. Pacing is loose and conversational, with scenes that linger on small rituals of talk and drawing rather than building toward set pieces. Its emotional register is gentle and observant, following a withdrawn boy slowly warming to a girl who sees him clearly, and then the complications that follow. Intensity is low: some drinking, teen sexuality and emotional frankness, but no violence and nothing graphic. It suits a slow weekend afternoon or a late, reflective night, and it is for people who enjoy coming-of-age stories about art, friendship and the messy pull between hope and withdrawal.
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