Lição de vida

This short (Scorsese's contribution to New York Stories) follows Lionel Dobie, an intense and talented painter. He's played by Nick Nolte, almost unrecognizable with shaggy hair and beard. Dobie's a very fascinating character. The film spends a lot of time watching him as he paints, waving his brush frantically to loud rock music. We feel that he's tormented, and when he picks up Paulette (Rosanna Arquette) at the airport, we understand why. A painter with little talent, she moved in with Dobie to learn from him but ended up in his bed. But now, she's through and she really wants to leave, but Dobie is so possessive that he won't let her, even when he learns that she slept with a performance artist played by the always enjoyable Steve Buscemi. The film is not about love, but more about how one can mistake need for love. Nolte's character is a lonely man, and he wants Paulette to be with him, but not really because of her. Any girl could do. The film is well written, and the direction is awesome. Scorsese's camera never rests, moving around constantly around Dobie. Like always, Scorsese also makes terrific use of music, which seems to help Dobie getting in the mood of his painting. Nolte and Arquette are also great, and so is the film. I don't know how this would play as a feature, but as a short, it's fascinating. ]