Local Color

Set in 1974, a young artist (Trevor Morgan) meets up with his local artist hero (Armin Mueller-Stahl), and they form an unusual friendship. The kid wants to learn about painting from the old master but gets more along the lines of life lessons as the two wind up in Pennsylvania for the summer. Mueller-Stahl is funny as hell and also touching as the cantankerous drunk artist. He curses his head off while helping the kid in his own strange way. He’s the main reason to see the film. Writer-director George Gallo based the film on his own experiences, and you can tell the story touches close to home. The movie tries to cram a bit too much into its running time (a subplot involving Samantha Mathis as a love interest is undernourished and unneeded) but the relationship between the Morgan and Stahl characters is strong, entertaining and unusual. Check it out during its limited run time at the Century Riverside.