Frankly, though, I wish the movie had spent a little more time concentrating on Syd alone and less on her sexual liaison with Lucy. Although better developed than most motion picture lesbian affairs, it's fundamentally not all that compelling. Unfortunately, the romance between Syd and Lucy is just one of a number of things on Cholodenko's agenda. Her script delves into themes of female empowerment, the war between ambition and affection, the effects of star power, and the balance between art and commercialism. Aside from Syd and Lucy, the characters are either irritating or complete non-entities.
All men fall into the latter category.
Syd's partner, James, is a one-dimensional, egocentric jerk. Visually, High Art is impressive. However, while such a sumptuous style makes it more enjoyable to look at the picture, it's far from everything needed for a successful endeavor. Despite solid performances in the two major roles, High Art 's script is too talky and uneven to make this really worthwhile, unless, of course, you're a fan of arty soap operas.