Words and Pictures rated PG-13 for sexual material including nude sketches, some mature thematic material, and language

Which is more important, words or pictures?  Without words how can thoughts be accurately articulated in a coherent fashion?  Without pictures how can we see the visions and thoughts of others and thereby learn and expand our own imaginations?  Those are some of the questions that this movie asks although I wouldn't say that the questions are asked with "utter gravity".

This film tells of two teachers at a prep school presumably in New England but definitely somewhere in America who meet and engage in a "battle" of words versus pictures that ignites a renewed sense of purpose in their students and themselves.

Clive Owen plays an English teacher named Jack Marcus who goes by the name Mr. Marc to his students.  He is an alcoholic logophile (that means someone who loves words according to dictionary.com) who is also something of a failed writer with a strained relationship with his son.

Juliette Binoche plays Dina Delsanto a cantankerous artist who has come to the school to teach art.  To the audience her attitude is obviously at least partly due to her physical and emotional pain from having rheumatoid arthritis but she keeps her condition as private as possible.  She evidently left the city and her successful art career after her condition progressed to the point where she can't even open bottles sometimes much less pick up a paint brush and paint.  There's a rather pitiful scene where she can't open her medicine so she smashes the bottle open with a meat tenderizer then has to call her sister who lives nearby to help her get undressed because she can't do it herself.

Mr. Marc is initially interested in Delsanto due to her initial prickly response to him.  He gets "righteously indignant" when one of his students tells him about Delsanto's comment that "words are lies".  Granted her words were taken out of context but it doesn't matter.  So begins a "war" in which Mr. Marc and Delsanto exchange words and assign classroom assignments for their classes (they happen to have the same classmates in each of their respective classes).  Along the way sparks fly between them but it is a slow burn that is most satisfying.

As it turns out Mr. Marc is in danger of losing his job due to his alcoholism.  It isn't explained exactly why Mr. Marc is an alcoholic although his alcoholism appears to be a major reason for the distance between himself and his son.  I liked that the film didn't spell out the reason(s) for the alcoholism.

All in all a great film. The characters were believable and sincere.  The story made sense and was well written.  I particularly love that this movie left me with food for thought.  I personally would say words are more important only because there are so many to choose from to express thoughts and feelings.  Still a world without pictures is a very sad thought.

I also liked that this movie points out that many young people currently in elementary through high school are so very comfortable using tablets and smart phones that they don't typically use "traditional" ways of finding out information i.e. books or perhaps even talking to people who are knowledgeable about subjects.  Instead it is easy to simply go to a tablet, computer, or smart phone and google whatever it is you are looking for.

While I admit that it is convenient and I myself enjoy the convenience, I think it was nice to see a film point out that it is more satisfying and more stimulating to read through a book to find information.  Specifically Mr. Marc points out that by looking up words in an encyclopedia, the students were able to come across other words about other subjects and people that they might not have ordinarily come across, thereby possibly inspiring them to continue looking and learning about other things and people.