I'd like to know who did all the paintings for this movie. They were gorgeous! Kudos to the artist who painted them!
The Art of Us
2017
Action / Comedy / Drama / Romance
The Art of Us
2017
Action / Comedy / Drama / Romance
54% - Audience
6.5Plot summary
Dr. Harper Higgins is an Adjunct Professor of Art History at the Cambridge Institute of Fine Arts. To make ends meet, she also teaches an adult painting class at the Arts Collective. She once aspired to the life of a painter herself, that is until her last show a year ago resulted in a scathing review by an esteemed art critic named Rick, who also happened to be her boyfriend at the time, that review which led to them breaking up and she putting down her paint brush for good. Although she never aspired to the life of an academic, she, as appointed curator, has managed to secure a famous artist for the Institute's upcoming Art Exhibition, it being a success which she hopes will lead to a promotion to a full time position. When that artist backs out, Harper scrambles to find a replacement. Who she hopes will be approved is the man she literally stumbled onto who became her dog walker, Tom Becker, his artwork which she truly admires. Untrained Tom only began to paint as therapy when he was in the VA Hospital (dog walking which was also therapy),he now not ever believing he could stop painting, but it being something he only does for himself. Regardless, partly in his attraction to Harper but mainly to pay the repair bills on his crumbling houseboat, he agrees to put his artwork forward for the Exhibition. In the process, Harper ends up telling two lies to her boss, Dr. Martin, to convince him to display Tom's work at the Exhibition, the bigger of the two lies, stemming from an anecdote told to her by Tom, which ends up being the focus of Tom showing at the Exhibition: that he is the great-great-grandson of Vincent van Gogh (the truth being that his great-great-grandmother grew up in the same town in Holland as Van Gogh and may have had a relationship with him). As it gets closer and closer to the Exhibition, Harper and Tom begin to fall for each other, and what is shown of Tom's artwork in preparation does catch the eye of some influential people in the art world. But the lie being discovered would not only ruin Harper's academic career and possibly ruin the reputation of the Institute, but could threaten her and Tom's relationship in the pressure of maintaining the lie, perhaps unless Tom's work truly can stand on its own merit.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Taylor Cole as Harper Higgins
Steve Lund as Tom Becker
Nathan Witte as Marshall
Keith MacKechnie as Frank
Movie Reviews
Reviewed by
The art work gets an 8
Reviewed by
Three reasons i like this more than usual Hallmark movies.
- Taylor Cole and Steve Lund. In some Hallmark movies i don't like any of the lead actors, in some just one of them and in others both. In this case it's certainly the latter.
- The art. Hallmark makes movies about photography and painting all the time. Too many times the work of supposed talented or successful artists is just ridiculous. Not this time though.
- The twist. You know how in every Hallmark movie the stars break up with ten minutes left in the movie and get back together three minutes before the end? Hallmark does it because it works, it adds a dramatic effect that usually makes the entire movie better. But after watching hundreds of Hallmark movies, this not happening for once is a very welcome twist
Reviewed by
Beautiful art, film not as beautiful
Am familiar with Taylor Cole and Steve Lund as lead actors, more so Cole due to seeing more of her filmography. Cole has always been variable to me, sometimes she is charming and easy to like and at others she comes over as cold and it does depend on how her character is written. What has been seen of Lund has been nice enough if not wow worthy. Have always liked looking at paintings and was interested in seeing whether Hallmark would do an interesting story out of it.
'The Art of Us' is a bit of a mixed bag, with some good things but also some underwhelming ones. When it comes to Hallmark's 2017 output, it is not one of the best and it is also not one of the worst. Personally put it in the middle of the pack category, and it is a case of the art being better than the film itself and it would have been a better film if the female lead character was likeable and if the story had been a lot more engaging than it turned out.
By all means there are good things. The best thing about 'The Art of Us' is the art, which is absolutely gorgeous and luckily showcased in all its glory. The production values are very nicely done, Hallmark nearly always delivered when it came to the scenery which is very nicely complemented by the photography.
Lund is charming and has a subtle charisma, and his character is a lot more likeable than Cole's by some considerable distance. Also thought that the dog was adorable, the most likeable character in the film, and the supporting cast solid.
Cole however doesn't work. Will agree with those that found her too much of an ice queen, and this is not the first or last time where that has been an issue for me with her. Also really disliked her character, where she comes over as too cold, too spoiled and too deceitful. Lund's character is not near as much of a problem, but he also started to frustrate later on when he comes over as too naive. Didn't really detect much chemistry between them personally, at times too distant and then in the latter moments when the lie becomes increasingly out of control it becomes forced and hard to believe that Lund's character still saw appeal in Cole's.
Did feel too that too much of the script was awkward and silly and while appreciating that the music wasn't over-scored or too much it made the mistake of being samey and completely unmemorable, also too soft. The direction is not amateurish but has no distinction. The story is too thin and formulaic, as well as difficult to connect to emotionally. Also found it unrealistic and not always tasteful, how the secret is discovered could have gone into more depth and the reaction is handled far too indifferently. The final quarter is both contrived and whatever and considering the way Cole's character acts and the events that happened not long before the ending is far too convenient and pat in an undeserving way.
On the whole, didn't come together for me sad to say despite the art. 5/10.