"Cutie and the Boxer" (2013)

Ushio and Noriko Shinohara are married artists. Noriko met Ushio when she was only nineteen and he was in his forties, and they shortly after married and had a son. Ushio has just turned eighty at the start of the film, and Noriko is just shy of sixty. Ushio was a well-known avant-garde artist in Japan who moved to New York in the 1960's. He makes action-paintings by putting on boxing gloves and punching at the canvas, and he makes sculptures out of cardboard, mostly of motorcycles.

Ushio has always had more fame and notoriety for his artwork than Noriko. He calls Noriko his "assistant", a term she resents. She has her own art, but she has often had to set it aside for the sake of Ushio and her son, Alex. Noriko makes paintings, and is currently working a graphical novel-like series of images about the struggles of her marriage. The film animates a number of her works to illustrate some of the couple's history. Old home movie footage is also used -- some powerful and surprising -- but it's mostly footage filmed in the present and their day to day lives in their small New York City apartment. 

Cutie and the Boxer is a documentary about their relationship as much if not more so than it is about their art. The film spends much of its time quietly giving voice to Noriko's justified grievances in her thirty-nine year long marriage. Ushio is selfish and an alcoholic who has put his addictions and art above his family. When she was younger, Noriko appreciated Ushio's love of art above all else and no matter the cost. As time has past though, she regrets not considering a more stable and secure lifestyle. The couple is barely making rent, and have difficulty finding buyers for Ushio's art. Ushio sells a sculpture for several thousand less than its price just to make money of any kind.

The film is a beautiful exploration of a longstanding marriage. Noriko has her regrets and resents Ushio at times, and Ushio doesn't always understand what bothers his wife. But they still love eachother in spite of their differences and difficulties. These problems aren't settled and they likely never completely will be, but such is often the case with the compromises in a marriage.

Grade: ★★★