Cutie and the boxer

A friend of mine posted an intriguing photo about a new documentary. She said it was a love story so of course I looked it up. After seeing a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I knew it would be a must-see. Cutie and the Boxer chronicles the difficulties in life and love of two creative individuals. Married to each other and to their crafts, boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and artist Noriko Shinohara sacrifice everything for their art.

'Cutie' is an authentic portrayal of companionship between two unlikely individuals. I know I write it all the time but sacrifice, trials, and support are all key ingredients to a lasting relationship. 'Cutie' reinforces all of my sentiments. From the cinematography to the musical accompaniment, there's absolutely nothing I did not love about this film. Kudos to director Zachary Heinzerling. Below are a few of my favorite quotes.

Ushio:

"Art is messy and dirty when it pours out of you." "We are the ones suffering the most from art." "Art is a demon. A demon that drags you along. It's not something you can stop, even if you should. Maybe you go insane. Your wife leaves, your kids run away. You throw yourself away to be an artist."

Noriko:

"We are like two flowers in one pot. It's difficult. Sometimes we don't get enough nutrients for both of us. But when everything goes well, we become two beautiful flowers. So it's either heaven or hell." "What's funny about people is that opposites attract, like a magnet. But similar personalities repel each other, and break up. Even when we were at each other's throats, there was passion and love. It's not a typical romance. Maybe being opposite helped to accomplish something in the end. But mainly, it was my endurance, I think." I highly recommend this film. It's one you'll never forget.