Local Color

The sweeping landscapes look flawless, but missing from Local Color’s canvas is any nuance in its human elements. A young artist (Morgan) is scorned, then embraced, by a reclusive veteran painter (Mueller-Stahl)—a curmudgeon who helps him master his art, fall for a beautiful neighbor and engage in a lengthy debate about art theory. The direction by painter George Gallo, paying tribute to his defining summer of 1974, mostly emphasizes the churning of narrative gears; his intentions are noble, but the emotions monotone. Like much fine art, it needs a little more texture.