Cutie and the Boxer is a documentary-style film that tells the tumultuous love story of two artists through the examination of their artwork. The couple’s 40-year-old relationship is captivating and creates an energy of curiosity that satisfies the audience throughout the entire film.
The couple’s complex relationship unfolds through the artwork of Noriko in her art series titled “Cutie & Bullie”. Her work is based on her relationship with her husband who is almost 20 years older than her. They first met in New York City, she was an aspiring artist and he was an established artist in the city. For a large portion of the film, she describes herself as inferior to her husband, as if she is just his student. Ushio has a role in making her feel this way as well, describing her as his assistant and calling himself the genius. The dynamic between the couple keeps the audience guessing throughout the film. It is clear that Noriko loves Ushio but, she also clearly feels stuck and unhappy. She described the relationship as two flowers trying to bloom in the same pot.
The couple’s artwork is visually polar opposites with Ushio creating bright and vibrant paintings and Noriko painting in primarily black and white. Ushio’s work seems to be more abstract and stylized especially in his painting in which he uses boxing gloves to punch the canvas. Noriko’s style is subtle and soft, with swooping, delicate brushstrokes that paint her emotion into each character drawn. They have been living in poverty for most of their lives, struggling to pay rent, raise a child, and Ushio’s alcohol addiction. This pain and suffering are evident in both of their art; Ushio’s sculpture and painting and Noriko’s comic-style series. It is fascinating to watch how the couple takes their pain and creates art from it.
The film intercuts clips of the couple from when they were younger living in New York City. These clips help write the narrative and bring to life what Noriko illustrated in “Cutie & Bullie”. Her series is an examination of their entire relationship, from the moment they first met to every major event after that. She inspects the changes in their relationship, and how it has altered from bright, new love into comfortable, stagnant love. The sections of their relationship in the past that are interlaced in the film show us the same change in the relationship that Noriko saw as well. We see how Ushio’s alcoholism affected their family and forced Noriko to raise their child herself while living in poverty. Noriko’s use of black and white in her artwork highlights the emptiness that she feels, was drained out of her life through the relationship with Ushio.
The film ends on a positive note with the couple having a duel exhibition at an art gallery. Ushio is the main focus of the exhibition but, Noriko gets an entire room to herself to show off her prized series. The whole film leads us to believe that Noriko believes that she would have been better off on her own but, after the exhibition, it is clear the duo depends on each other to be able to create the beautiful artwork that they are showing. Without the struggle of her life with Ushio she would have never created her series and without the strength and guidance of Noriko, Ushio would not have the support he needed to continue to create his art.
The film is a beautiful examination of a tragic love story that is exemplified through two unique forms of art. Ushio’s vibrant paintings and complex cardboard sculptures highlight the exciting and wild side of the relationship while Noriko’s delicate paintings show the pain and suffering that existed. The duality of their artwork is an amalgamation of their entire relationship which reveals to the audience that although the relationship is difficult, the two depend on each other for motivation to continue doing what they love most. At any point in their lives, either one of them could have given up on their craft but both persevered and through their combined tenacity found a stage for their art to be appreciated.
