Rating: 
Summary: Jeffrey Wright is Basquiat
Review: Featuring an outstanding numberof actors from Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, Willem Defoe to David Bowie - who plays a just as convincing Andy Warhol, as Wright does Basquiat. The movie begins as a young Jean-Michel Basquiat witnesses a painting of some sort on a wall. Basquiat's mother (I presume) begins to cry, but then she looks down at Basquiat who is smiling as we see an image of a halo or a crown. Maybe this is a prelude of what is about to come for her young son? Throughout the film we see various images of a surfer surfing the ocean. This can relate to a young up-and-coming artist in Basquiat who climbs the latter of success; rides the waves, and of course we see his perpetual and painfull downfall. He learns many things along the way, especially that success comes with a price. He can never shake the negative reviews that he was "Warhol's hanger-on," or a "Graffiti writer." We never really know what's going on in Basquiat's head or what's fueling his artistic fire, and why he flirts with danger. By the time that we make a pretty good asumption, again we see the image of the surfer surfing the ocean, only this time he falls and is swallowed by the waves. A lot of questions left unanswered, but this won't matter because with such an oustanding cast - it covers any holes that this film may have. Great soundtrack, opening song by Bowie, and is that Isabella Rosselini in the art gallery as Basquiat looks through the glass?
Rating: 
Summary: One of my favorite films of all time.
Review: Basquiat is a mesmerizing, intelligent, compassionate, and stunningly beautiful movie. Jeffrey Wright and David Bowie should both have been nominated for Academy Awards (and if they gave Academy Awards for bit parts, Christopher Walken would deserve one!!). I hadn't heard of Jean-Michel Basquiat before seeing the movie, but now I'm dying to see more of his art, and also to learn more about Andy Warhol's life. Even if you aren't a fan of Basquiat's or Warhol's art (I'm not sure yet whether I am or not), if you have an open mind you will almost certainly be touched by the beauty in this film. Basquiat is one of the few films I have really MISSED from the moment it ended. I can't wait to see it again, so that I can absorb Basquiat's art better, and experience David Bowie's entirely believable, lovable, and *funny* portrayal of Warhol again. One viewing is definitely not enough. DVD, where are you??
Rating: 
Summary: Kevin
Review: ...
Technical Evaluation Cinematography The cinematography of "Basquiat" is satisfying. It does a good job in establishing the setting of the scenes for the viewers, as well as displaying Basquiat in a way that makes him dominated by his surroundings through the use of high angle shots and slow motion effects. Some examples of these follow:
•The scene where Basquiat displays his art in a gallery consisted of various high-angle/crane shots on Basquiat. In this scene, Basquiat's relationship with his close friends, such as Rene Ricard and his girlfriend, seems to dwindle as he becomes closer with his new friends, Andy Warhole and Bruno Bischofberger. Rene storms out of the gallery after finding out that Basquiat gave away a painting that was promised to be his. The camera films Basquiat with a high-angle, slow motion shot as he exits the gallery. The high-angle shot symbolizes his insignificance and inner pain by means of making the terrain seemingly overwhelm his figure, thus making his appearance irrelevant as he exits the building. Also, as he made his way for the exit, everybody else around him was standing still, seemingly in deep conversation with one another, not noticing the fact that he was leaving. This technique, combined with the slow motion of the camera, symbolized Basquiat's isolation from the crowd and, for that matter, his friends.
Overall, the cinematography was pleasing, as it sometimes made the viewers feel what Basquiat was feeling. It did a decent job in making him seem insignificant in some scenes such when he leaves the studio. Editing The editing in Basquiat has a few notable characteristics worth talking about. There were many scenes that showed Basquiat painting his graffiti on walls throughout the city. The scenes used long shots while he was painting and often cut to various segments of the process, thus causing him to look like he was jumping all over the screen. This disrupted the continuity of the scene, making this segment of the film very formalistic. Had the film showed Basquiat painting his graffiti in its entirety, (something that would have violated the concept of Raymond Spottiswoode's content curve) the viewers would have been extremely bored at looking at the same background for such a long period of time.
Another good editing technique was at the end of the movie where Basquiat was riding in a jeep with his friend, Benny. This scene was heavily edited in that there was a mixture of formalistic and realistic editing. The realistic editing involved "cutting to continuity" and fixed camera shots that followed Basquiat throughout his ride in the jeep. The formalistic editing involved more abstract cutting in that there was no continuity between certain shots. The camera shots were also more loose in that they allowed Basquiat to exit the shot into oblivion while the camera stayed fixed on a certain object (such as the wall of a building they drove past). The mixture of these techniques symbolized a state of instability in Basquiat's life. At this point in the film, he was not really sure where he was going to go with his life. The editing did a good job in conveying this by the sudden entrance and exits of Basquiat in certain scenes and stable, fixed shots of him in others. Interpretive Evaluation Overall, based on these technical evaluations, the film does an decent job in entertaining the audience. It makes good use of cinematography and editing to visually describe the atmosphere and mood of various scenes. The cinematography also does a
good job in displaying Basquiat's insignificance and isolation through the use of high-angled/slow motion shots and point-of-view shots through glass. The editing also helped to convey these ideas through formalistic and realistic styles of editing. Although not one of the best films I have seen, "Basquiat" definitely stands out in terms of techniques used to display emotion when compared to other artist-based films I have seen.
Rating:
Summary: Too fragile for the World / Excellent Film
Review: Basquiat is an amazing true life story of a man too fragile for the world. Jean Michel Basquiat posessed a child like quality that made people want to help him and an innate charisma that made people want to be around him. This is a man that was almost too creative for this world a tortured soul who could not deal with fame Julian Schnabel captures that in this film. This movie really depicts his struggle with fame. Basquiat wanting fame / recognition so badly then finally reaching it & not knowing how to or can't deal with it. The acting is phenominal Jeffrey Wright is amazing he is Basqiuat in this movie to the exact detail. David Bowie plays a great Andy Warhol. The cinematography and symbolism in the film is incredible there's a scene where Basqiuat is walking down the street and sees on a billboard a man surfing catching a wave which pretty much symbilizes his drive & wanting to be at the top. This film also captures that exciting time in the early 80's where art met music & fashion when artists were the superstars. Sad story of an eccentric man whose talent was exploited & became more of an image then a soul. A must see I own it on VHS one of my top 10 favorite films, the soundtrack rocks too.
Rating:
Summary: Instant Classic
Review: Schnabel's "Basquiat" is an extremely watchable film. It's touching, funny, depressing, uplifting, mainstream and expiremental at the same time. It teaches you much about the painter's life from the time right before he became a star to the beginning of his downfall. Jeffrey Wright's performance is spellbinding and is perhaps one of the greatest biographical performances in the history of film. David Bowie is hilarious and extremely on point with his portrayal of Andy Warhol and Michael Wincott is fantastic as poet Rene Ricard. Other stand out characters are Benicio Del Toro as Basquiat's best friend, and Christopher Walken as an interviewer. Look quick for Vincent Gallo and a few other stars in cameos. Every scene in this movie is beautiful. The film moves forward at a quick pace in a series of vignettes. You can watch this film a thousand times and walk away a little more inspired about art and fame. I only wonder if people outside New York can relate as well to this film. It's a very 'East Village' film, you'll understand if you live here. STILL WATING FOR THE DAMN DVD COME ON MIRAMAX, COUGH IT UP, ILL EDIT THE THING MYSELF IF YOU DONT WANT TO SPEND MONEY ON IT.
Rating:
Summary: Watch and listen
Review: I'm totally ignorant of art, but this film is very exciting especially in Jeffrey Wright's scenes with actors Claire Forlani, Michael Wincott, and Benicio Del Toro. The way Basquiat's success changes his relationship with his girlfriend and friends and the way he seemingly unwittingly uses people and is also used by people makes for great entertainment. I'm not sure about the Andy Warhol scenes, and nothing much is learned of the relationship between he and Basquiat, but I enjoyed the reunion at the end between Basquiat and his pre-fame best friend Benny. My two favorite scenes would be the one where Basquiat ruins his girlfriend's painting sparking a wonderful argument and the scene between Basquiat and Benny in the car when Basquiat accuses Benny of being a racist. Benicio Del Toro's response is awesome in this scene: "What gives you the audacity to even think that..." I really appreciate the fact that Jeffrey Wright's performance does not allow Basquiat to become merely a symbol for oh-so-cool self-destructive artists. At times he is sweetly sympathetic and at other times he is very irritating and self-righteous. What I think is tragic about the film's Basquiat is that he is constantly being judged based on his race and set apart rather than being embraced solely for his artistic talent. Although Schnabel is an artist himself I don't feel the film is a visual film, it is visual/audio similar to Scorcese's Mean Streets but without that film's violence. The music soundtrack is so important and the songs are so well chosen that it feels like many of the scenes were filmed to fit a specific song. The wonderful soundtrack includes songs by The Pogues, Tom Waits, Van Morrison, Miles Davis, and John Cale. I especially like the use of the songs Fairytale of New York and Summer in Siam by The Pogues and Hallelujah by John Cale. Great music fills plot holes and connects fragmented scenes together. For me the dialogue is very musical as well, especially as delivered by such uniquely talented actors. This film can be watched many times without becoming boring, and therefore I recommend owning it.
Rating: 
Summary: abysmal twaddle about egocentric junkies
Review: Good performances can't save this self-indulgent tale of yet another artist whose out of control ego is supposed to be interesting to the viewer. Even the scenes of his "creative process" are meaningless, and no better than watching a wall being defaced by spray paint; somehow we are made to assume Basquiat is an inventive genius, when what the screen shows us is a man who has no respect for anyone (for instance, there is a scene where he goes to a lovely home for dinner, and urinates in the hallway), no gratitude to those who help him become famous, and is more interested in self-promotion than art. It has a stellar cast of character actors, among them David Bowie, who shines as Andy Warhol (and is sporting one of Warhol's actual wigs), and Gary Oldman as "Albert Milo", which is an alias for artist and writer/director of this film, Julian Schnabel, and uses Schnabel's paintings, including one he made for Basquiat (the one he shows Jeffrey Wright/Basquiat saying he painted it for a friend who died).
The reproductions of Basquiat's work were also done by Schnabel. Will Basquiat's work be known 100 years from now ? I doubt it; though it is lauded now, I believe time will reveal it to be no more than glorified graffiti.
For superior films on other self-obsessed, but far better artists, see "Pollock" or "Surviving Picasso", for a humorless depiction of substance abusing bores, an aimless script, and jumpy editing, this is your film. Total running time 1 hour and 46 minutes.
Rating:
Summary: Kevin
Review: ...
Technical Evaluation Cinematography The cinematography of "Basquiat" is satisfying. It does a good job in establishing the setting of the scenes for the viewers, as well as displaying Basquiat in a way that makes him dominated by his surroundings through the use of high angle shots and slow motion effects. Some examples of these follow:
• The scene where Basquiat displays his art in a gallery consisted of various high-angle/crane shots on Basquiat. In this scene, Basquiat's relationship with his close friends, such as Rene Ricard and his girlfriend, seems to dwindle as he becomes closer with his new friends, Andy Warhole and Bruno Bischofberger. Rene storms out of the gallery after finding out that Basquiat gave away a painting that was promised to be his. The camera films Basquiat with a high-angle, slow motion shot as he exits the gallery. The high-angle shot symbolizes his insignificance and inner pain by means of making the terrain seemingly overwhelm his figure, thus making his appearance irrelevant as he exits the building. Also, as he made his way for the exit, everybody else around him was standing still, seemingly in deep conversation with one another, not noticing the fact that he was leaving. This technique, combined with the slow motion of the camera, symbolized Basquiat's isolation from the crowd and, for that matter, his friends.
Overall, the cinematography was pleasing, as it sometimes made the viewers feel what Basquiat was feeling. It did a decent job in making him seem insignificant in some scenes such when he leaves the studio. Editing The editing in Basquiat has a few notable characteristics worth talking about. There were many scenes that showed Basquiat painting his graffiti on walls throughout the city. The scenes used long shots while he was painting and often cut to various segments of the process, thus causing him to look like he was jumping all over the screen. This disrupted the continuity of the scene, making this segment of the film very formalistic. Had the film showed Basquiat painting his graffiti in its entirety, (something that would have violated the concept of Raymond Spottiswoode's content curve) the viewers would have been extremely bored at looking at the same background for such a long period of time.
Another good editing technique was at the end of the movie where Basquiat was riding in a jeep with his friend, Benny. This scene was heavily edited in that there was a mixture of formalistic and realistic editing. The realistic editing involved "cutting to continuity" and fixed camera shots that followed Basquiat throughout his ride in the jeep. The formalistic editing involved more abstract cutting in that there was no continuity between certain shots. The camera shots were also more loose in that they allowed Basquiat to exit the shot into oblivion while the camera stayed fixed on a certain object (such as the wall of a building they drove past). The mixture of these techniques symbolized a state of instability in Basquiat's life. At this point in the film, he was not really sure where he was going to go with his life. The editing did a good job in conveying this by the sudden entrance and exits of Basquiat in certain scenes and stable, fixed shots of him in others. Interpretive Evaluation Overall, based on these technical evaluations, the film does an decent job in entertaining the audience. It makes good use of cinematography and editing to visually describe the atmosphere and mood of various scenes. The cinematography also does a
good job in displaying Basquiat's insignificance and isolation through the use of high-angled/slow motion shots and point-of-view shots through glass. The editing also helped to convey these ideas through formalistic and realistic styles of editing. Although not one of the best films I have seen, "Basquiat" definitely stands out in terms of techniques used to display emotion when compared to other artist-based films I have seen.
Rating:
Summary: No option for zero stars, unfortunately, for awful drivel
Review: Julian Schnabel pulled off some kind of coup by getting financing and a distributor for a kind of "home movie" that is as inept and awful as having to watch your neighbor's video of their last vacation. But unlike your neighbors, Mr. Schnabel knows a lot of actors and celebrities to do supporting parts and cameos, so any pleasure to be derived from "Basquiat" comes from spotting the famous names. Jean-Michel Basquiat was a (sadly) drug-addicted and mentally ill 20 year old when he broke into the art scene in the early 80s. Of course, art is in the mind of the beholder, but to my sensibilites he was made much of because of his youth, race and a (false) belief that he was some kind of homeless "savant". (Actually, he was from a middle class background.) Anything interesting in his story has more to do with the pretentiousness of the "New York Art Scene" and how they glom onto something for a season or two, or make much of a sad, mentally ill boy until his life, expectations and whatever talent he did or didn't have is utterly wasted. The real mystery: how the heck does Schnabel get someone of the talent and stature of Willem Dafoe to do a "walk on" as an electrician or Parker Posey to do a line or two as art dealer Mary Boone? There are also brief appearances by wannabes like Courtney Love, Tatum O'Neal, Dennis Hopper, etc. (Not to mention that the entire Schnabel family sans Papa is listed in the credits.) No less than Gary Oldman portrays Schnabel himself (called Albert Milo here, although I can't imagine why) and shown living like a Renaissance prince in a vast New York loft filled with giant paintings and antiques...I guess so we properly hold him in awe as a successful New York "artiste" and swoon at his affluence. There is ZERO attempt here to re-create the period and society in place during the time of the events shown (about '79-83) and actors wear clothing contemporary to the later 90s, at least 15 years too modern; ditto for things like cars, music, etc. This is very disorienting -- is Schnabel trying to make the story contemporary or is he cheap, sloppy, unaware? It's impossible to tell. Since the protagonist is stoned AND mentally ill throughout the film -- he doesn't descend into this state as in some biopics, but starts out this way -- there is a certain amount of pity for him, but it's hard to feel any kind of identification with him. It's also embarassing Production values and special effects -- the surfer in the sky fantasy -- are not particularly well done by current CGI standards adding to the "home made" overall quality of the film. A couple of supporting actors pull out the stops to give good performances. David Bowie, who you would not think had it in him acting-wise or appearance-wise, turns in a wonderful, nuanced portrait of the uber-trendy Andy Warhol (just before the artist's death). Michael Wincott, known more for his portrayals of sinister villain types, switches gears radically to portray very gay, very swishy poet/art critic Rene Ricard, who "discovers" Basquiat only to be quickly betrayed as the young artist allys himself with more important and high profile "friends". He's very convincing in the part and I had to check the credits twice to be sure this was the same actor from "The Crow" and "1492". But other high profile name actors are basically just doing walk-ons...I guess this is the high trendy art equivalent of a home movie. So my first analysis was dead-on. You won't learn anything about art from watching "Basquiat", except that it's a very bad idea to give an artist a camera and let him make a movie.
Rating:
Summary: a glimpse into the artworld of the 80's
Review: this is a wonderful movie and a great ensamble cast.i love Claire Forlani's deadpan line "Benny your crazy you should do more drugs"!
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