Monday, February 13, 2012

Eames: The Architect and the Painter

Charles and Ray Eames were a husband and wife creative team that was best known for their furniture designs, particularly the Eames chair, but in truth their work and influence extended into many different realms. From photography to film to medical design, toys, and technology, The Eames Studio was a bastion of creativity and invention that flourished and extended its influence for a large part of the 20th century. "The Architect and the Painter" tells a fascinating and little known story (at least to me), but somewhat squanders it through poor narration by James Franco and interviews with colleagues who fawn over the great couple and add nothing to the film but length in the running time. Watching the film, I was shocked at my ignorance of the couple and their company and wish they had been given a better treatment.