NYFF AT 51 REVIEW: "EXHIBITION"
BY LIZ WHITTEMORE
As an artist, your world is already different from anyone else’s. You think differently and you see things other do not. You feel emotions to the extreme. All these prove true in Johanna Hogg’s new film EXHIBITION. The story is centered around 2 middle-aged artists living in a very modern and modular home in the UK. Only ever identified as D (Viv Albertine) and H (Liam Gillick), they each have a studio on separate floors of the house and during the day, mostly communicate via intercoms. This is a wonderful expression of the state of their marriage at the present. D is in love with the house, while H intends to sell it. D is a struggling artist, H is quite successful. Their desire for each other is on two different plains. He is always ready to be intimate and she could care less unless there is a bit of “exhibition” involved. D’s art is unusual and sexual in nature. She poses her body in costumes (or lack thereof) and either draws what she sees or mostly stands in front of the massive windows taunting the passersby. H is an architect and landscape designer. Tom Hiddleston has a brief role as their real estate agent. Through the process of selling the house, D is able to find herself and even garners her own upcoming art exhibition. H is happy to let the house go and in D’s growth he is contented.
Sound is crucial to a film that actually has little dialogue. The street noises are jarring but put you into the daily routine of the couple. The house is also its own character. D actually hugs areas of the structure several times. We hear how the house sounds at night, its literal moving parts during the day, and is the one thing standing in the way of a good marriage. The most unique fact about this film is that Viv Albertine is not an actress. She is a musician. She is a pro in this piece, with challenging sexual scenes that include masturbation and body binging. You would never know that this was her first foray into the medium of film.
VERDICT: A Solid Choice
Written and Directed by: Johanna Hogg Starring Viv Albertine, Liam Gillick, and Tom Hiddleston Country: UK Language: English Running Time: 104 Minutes Content Advisory: Strong Sexual Content
BOTTOM LINE: Exhibition, in title and content, definitely plays upon the double entendre. Love and exposure of growth make this a truly interesting movie. While it may run a bit long for the amount of dialogue, on the whole it keeps you in your seat.