Cutie and the Boxer

★★★★ 'a hugely endearing documentary' FT
★★★★ The Independent
★★★★ Guardian

This candid documentary takes a warts-and-all look at the 40-year marriage of famed ‘boxing’ painter Ushio Shinohara and his long-suffering wife Noriko. Following them closely in their New York home and studios, the film examines Ushio’s work and career while also revealing the toll that sharing her life with this volatile man has taken on Noriko.

As Ushio prepares for his latest exhibition, Noriko struggles to identify herself as an artist, beyond her long history as her husband’s assistant and arguably closest collaborator. Tender, insightful and moving, Cutie and the Boxer reveals as much about marriage and its sacrifices as it does about the artist and his process.