Beautiful Losers Inspires Others to Be Losers Too

Beautiful Losers Movie Review
By Demon

Beautiful Losers Movie Poster The visually rich documentary Beautiful Losers tells the story of a group of artists whose common love of graffiti, skateboarding, and punk rock resulted in their convergence at the Alleged Gallery in New York and their subsequent success in the commercial art world.

More than a historical portrait, however, the movie is about the personal joy one feels when creating art and the value and need for artists to have both audience and community in which to create. Although not the most ambitious or cohesive piece (there is little critical perspective offered on the artists and it’s sometimes difficult to understand how they relate to one another personally), the movie is pure visual pleasure featuring interesting personalities whose stories will impact anyone involved in the arts.

I was only familiar with a couple of the artists in the film — especially filmmaker Harmony Korine of Kids, Gummo, and Julien Donkey Boy fame — but found all of the profiles interesting, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring.

Who are the beautiful losers? Featured artists include: Shepard Fairey, Mark Gonzales, Spike Jonze, Margaret Kilgallen, Mike Mills, Barry McGee, Phil Frost, Chris Johanson, Harmony Korine, and Ed Templeton.