Art School Confidential

Even the most devoted fans of Terry Zwigoff (Crumb, Ghost World, Bad Santa) will have trouble defending his latest, which promises to be zanily different but soon becomes blandly conformist. On its most basic level the picture is a satire of art school: specifically, the fictional Strathmore Institute, where disillusioned freshman Jerome (Max Minghella) joins a sea of student stereotypes (including two goofy roommates) taught by teachers (played by the likes of John Malkovich and Anjelica Huston) who are a bunch of failed poseurs. Into this setting, the script introduces a plot thread involving a serial killer and the arrival of a hunky but mysterious new student whose primitive paintings are acclaimed by everyone but Jerome (and the guy links up with the rich, lovely girl Jerome was hoping to romance). All of this comes together, after a fashion, in a complicated denouement that finds Jerome using desperate measures to win the recognition being denied him while the cops close in on the notorious murderer. The concluding twist offers a cynical commentary on the whole art business, equating success with notoriety, but that's hardly any kind of newsflash. Art School Confidential has some clever moments, especially early on when it focuses on Malkovich's waspish character, but ultimately it collapses when the serial killer/black comedy plot takes over. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include 12 deleted scenes (11 min.), a nine-minute “making-of” featurette, a seven-minute Sundance Film Festival featurette, five minutes of bloopers and alternate takes, a brief deleted scene, and trailers. Bottom line: a so-so extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)