In 1974, in the suburb of Port Chester, New York, the teenager aspirant artist John Talia (Trevor Morgan) has a troubled relationship with his homophobic father (Ray Liotta) that does not understand his talent. While visiting his friend Yammi (Charles Durning),John finds that the genius Russian painter Nicoli Seroff (Armin Mueller-Stahl) lives nearby and he decides to pay a visit to his idol. John finds a bitter alcoholic elder that still grieves the loss of his wife Anya many years ago but he successfully befriends the master. When Nicoli travels to the countryside in Pennsylvania, he invites John to go with him to teach him how to paint. Then John meets Nicoli's neighbor Carla (Samantha Mathis) who grieves that loss of her son, and the arrogant critic of art and Nicolai's friend Curtis Sunday (Ron Perlman). Along their vacation, the synergy of Nicoli and John improves their individual lives.

"Local Color" is a nostalgic and melancholic movie about life and passion for arts. The story is based on true events and is beautifully disclosed through the magnificent performance of the fantastic Armin Mueller-Stahl, very well supported by Trevor Morgan. The gorgeous Samantha Mathis has also a minor but important participation and she does not appear her stated age (36); therefore she fits perfectly to the role of Carla. The movie plays with emotions, oscillating between few bitterly funny moments (like for example when Nicoli shows the paintings of the children with mental retardation to his arrogant friend or his behavior in the art exposition in the countryside) and many heartbreaking moments. The message to follow the dreams is nice; the cinematography is beautiful; the pace is adequate and my only remark is to the pronunciation (or accent) of the narrator in long texts, which is difficult to be followed. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Mestre da Vida" ("The Master of the Life")

John Talia Jr. wanted to be a painter. He realized that coming from a humble home and having a homophobic father, he didn't have a chance to make it in the art world. What's more, John wanted to absorb all he could from a reclusive landscape painter, Nicoli Seroff, that lived near him. For that, he appeals to Nicoli himself, who at first is puzzled by what John wants, so he refuses the lad. Seroff becomes intrigued by the young man's ambition and takes him as his assistant when he goes to a Pennsylvania farm where he works.

Nicoli is a nasty, vodka drinking loud mouth who takes any opportunity he can to berate the young man; he even asks his new apprentice to do menial jobs around the farm. If John thought he was going to learn a lot from this guy, he was probably insane, but eventually master and pupil come to an understanding of what each one brings to a point they will remember forever. Relief comes in the shape of Carla, a neighbor of Nicoli, who awakens in the youth to a possibility of love.

George Gallo, a painter himself, wrote and directed this drama that might be autobiographical, for all we know. The film, which opened in Manhattan recently, seemed to have been shelved for almost three years, although we saw it some time ago in other markets and overseas.

Trevor Morgan is the young aspiring painter. He is credible and his inter action with a veteran actor Armin Mueller-Stahl is the most interesting aspect of the film. Mr. Mueller-Stahl makes a wonderful and complex Nicoli Seroff. Ray Liotta plays the homophobic father and Samantha Mathis is Carla.

The film is a nostalgic trip to the past.

LOCAL COLOR is one of those films that move sensitive audience members despite its flaws. The story by George Gallo (also responsible for the script) is based on a true event - the coming together of a young student artist with a crusty alcoholic master painter and how one summer of cohabitation in the beauty of Pennsylvania's countryside sets the stage for the transformation of each. The idea is excellent and the story does indeed provide information about the importance of representational art in a world preferring the jolt of 'progressive art' for both the novice art appreciator and art students - among other values - but the dialogue at times is so repetitive and predictable that the mood frequently changes inappropriately.

Armin Mueller-Stahl lends his usual credibility to the tortured soul of Nicoli Seroff, a Russian landscape artist of advanced years who came to America after the Stalin purges murdered his family and his wife Anya and who now paints very little because of his disillusionment with the contemporary art scene and the tenor of the times. Down the street (the film begins in Port Chester, New York - the year is 1974) lives a lad named John Talia, Jr (Trevor Morgan) who is at odds with his inner need to create art and the world of 'normal boys' as viewed by his father (Ray Liotta). Through a series of instances John discovers Nicoli and after frustrated attempts to study art with the master, Nicoli begrudgingly invites John to his summer studio in the wilds of Pennsylvania. There the two grow into each other's worlds, in part due to the external influences of art critic Curtis Sunday (Ron Perlman) and the lonely Carla (Samantha Mathis) - a young girl whose only child is now dead and who lives for the closeness of caring for Nicoli. How the boy and the master mend fences and learn form each other is the story of a summer of enlightenment.

The acting is very fine, the photography matches the mood of the landscapes each of the two characters approach, and the story line is touching. Gallo somehow finds it necessary to pepper his dialogue with two expletives that grow boring and seem like laziness on the part of the script writing. But once over this bothersome hurdle the result of this film is a touching tribute to the concept of inspiration and the camaraderie of master and pupil. Especially fine for art students who are faced with the dilemma of representational versus non-representational expression in art.

Grady Harp