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THE NEXT BIG THING Send This Review to a Friend
The art world gets a satirical thumping in "The Next Big Thing," an amusing comedy that deflates the pretentiousness that can go with so-called new discoveries, commercial manipulation, critics, patrons and the ignorance on the part of some of the art-going public. Romance is tossed in for good measure.
Pity poor Gus Bishop, a would-be artist played by Chris Eigeman. Nobody wants his work. However, when Deech, a thief (Jamie Harris), breaks into his apartment and steals a painting, opportunity begins to knock in a strange way. Deech palms Gus's painting off to his landlord in lieu of back rent. What do the painting's signed initials GB stand for? Never at a loss for dishonesty, Deech, spotting a spaghetti can, gives birth to the allegedly famous name Geoff Buonardi.
As the quirky plot plays out, the mysterious GB becomes the rage of the art world, Gus's paintings become valuable, and he winds up teaming with the thief, as well as a private eye sent to discover who GB is, in perpetuating the scam. Of course, there's a problem. How can the artist claim his true identity and win the love of the art critic (Connie Britton)?
That's a lot to handle in the screenplay by Joel Posner and P. J. Posner, but the latter Posner as director manages to pull things together entertainingly, getting enjoyable performances from his talented cast and making good use of Manhattan locations. This is a low-budget, independent venture that manages to provide easygoing fun by its clever twitting of the contemporary art scene. A Castle Hill Productions release.
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