The Gallerist Review: A Tiring Art World Caper That Wastes Its Talented Cast
Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega lead the ensemble in The Gallerist, a new art world comedy that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to disappointing results. Directed by Cathy Yan, the film attempts to satirise the absurdities of contemporary art but ultimately flounders as a grating and unfunny misfire.
A Promising Premise That Quickly Unravels
The film centres on an intriguing, if darkly comic, premise: what happens when an obnoxious art influencer accidentally dies after impaling himself on an exhibit, and the gallerist decides to incorporate the corpse into the artwork rather than report the incident? On paper, this setup suggests a sharp, farcical take on the art world's pretensions and moral compromises.
Portman plays Polina, an ambitious gallerist desperate for critical acclaim at Miami's Art Basel. Her latest exhibition features work by relative unknown Stella, played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph. When influencer Dalton, portrayed by Zach Galifianakis, meets a gruesome end during a preview, Polina sees an opportunity to transform tragedy into a sensational artistic statement.
Star-Studded Cast Struggles with Direction
Despite assembling an impressive roster of talent including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sterling K. Brown, and Daniel Brühl alongside Portman and Ortega, The Gallerist fails to capitalise on its actors' abilities. Portman in particular appears uncomfortable throughout, unable to find the right tone for her character's moral disintegration. Her performance as Polina, styled as a cross between Miranda Priestly and Andy Warhol, feels strained and uncertain.
Jenna Ortega as assistant Kiki tries valiantly but seems to lack clear direction, while Catherine Zeta-Jones's vamped-up art maven character has nowhere meaningful to go. The ensemble cast, though clearly game for the material, struggles to match Yan's zany energy, resulting in performances that feel disconnected from both each other and the film's intended comedic rhythm.
Missed Opportunities and Lazy Satire
Yan, who previously directed the vibrant Dead Pigs and the DC Comics film Birds of Prey, attempts to create a fast-paced, energetic comedy but the film never clicks into place. The dialogue lacks the wicked sharpness needed for effective satire, while the escalating circumstances become increasingly tiring rather than thrilling.
Where the film does show promise is in its occasional commentary on the tension between art and commerce. Randolph's character Stella represents the authentic artist whose work becomes compromised by Polina's commercial antics, a dynamic that suggests more personal territory for Yan, possibly reflecting her own experiences navigating studio filmmaking. Unfortunately, these more interesting themes remain underdeveloped in favour of broader, less effective comedy.
A Disappointing Return to Independent Filmmaking
For a director freed from the constraints of superhero cinema, The Gallerist represents a disappointing return to independent filmmaking. The clinical, artificial setting of the gallery becomes monotonous rather than compelling, and the 90-minute runtime feels longer than it should due to the film's inability to establish consistent comedic momentum.
While Portman has demonstrated comedic ability in films like No Strings Attached, here she appears completely rudderless, unable to master even her character's physicality. The film's final attempt to add weight through a monologue about artistic integrity feels unearned, coming after too much feather-light material that fails to engage either intellectually or emotionally.
The Gallerist ultimately represents a wasted opportunity for all involved - a talented cast put to poor use, a director struggling to find her footing between studio and independent work, and a potentially interesting premise that never develops beyond surface-level observations about an industry that's already been satirised more effectively elsewhere.
