{{short description|2001 film by Helen Lee}} {{Infobox film | name = The Art of Woo | image = | caption = | director = [[Helen Lee (director)|Helen Lee]] | producer = {{ubl|Anita Lee|[[Peter O'Brian (film producer)|Peter O'Brian]]}} | writer = Helen Lee | narrator = | starring = {{ubl|[[Sook-Yin Lee]]|[[Adam Beach]]}} | music = {{ubl|[[Ron Sexsmith]]|[[Kurt Swinghammer]]}} | cinematography = [[Steve Cosens]] | editing = [[Vesta Slivanovic]] | studio = ArtStar Pix | distributor = | released = {{film date|2001|9|9|df=y}} | runtime = 97 minutes | country = Canada | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''The Art of Woo''''' is a 2001 Canadian [[romantic comedy]] film written and directed by [[Helen Lee (director)|Helen Lee]] and starring [[Sook-Yin Lee]] and [[Adam Beach]].
==Plot== Alessa Woo ([[Sook-Yin Lee]]), an art gallery employee in [[Toronto]], has built an image as a rich heiress, but is in dire financial straits. She attempts to court rich men to feed her lifestyle, but is prone to changing partners. One day, talented [[Aboriginal peoples in Canada|aboriginal]] artist Ben Crowchild ([[Adam Beach]]) moves into the apartment next door, leading to the two sharing a bathroom. In order to spurn a persistent suitor, Nathan ([[Don McKellar]]), Woo takes hold of Crowchild and kisses him. The two later become [[Casual relationship|friends with benefits]].
Soon, Woo is approached by the idly rich art collector Patrick Aucoin ([[Joel Keller (actor)|Joel Keller]]), who proposes to her; Woo becomes tempted. However, she has developed feelings for the seemingly unwealthy Crowchild. Crowchild, who has similar emotions, reveals to her that he was adopted by Aucoin's father and that he himself is rich, but posing as a poor artist to be better received by the community. Woo and Crowchild become a couple.
==Production== [[File:Adam Beach 2007.jpg|thumb|[[Saulteaux]] actor Adam Beach was cast in the lead male role of Ben Crowchild.]] ''The Art of Woo'' was the feature film directorial debut of Helen Lee.{{sfn|Braun 2001, Art of Woo}} After the failure of Lee's previous short film, ''Priceless'', she was approached by co-producer Anita Lee and offered the chance to direct a feature-length romantic comedy; finding herself depressed by the "heaviness" of ''Priceless'', Helen Lee accepted. She wrote the first draft in two weeks after watching several "classic" romantic comedies; the speed in writing was caused by her desire to receive a grant for up to [[Canadian dollar|C$]] 500,000 from the [[Canadian Film Centre]]'s Featured Film Project (FFP), granted for low-budget films. After approval, they received assistance from FFP member [[Peter O'Brian (film producer)|Peter O'Brian]] to ensure they would finish the film within a year.{{sfn|Hoolboom|2008|p=32}}
Helen Lee intended to insert themes of gender and race through showing social anxieties, class distinctions, and cultural displacements.{{sfn|Hoolboom|2008|p=33}} Two reviewers noted a resemblance between ''The Art of Woo'' and the 1961 film ''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's (film)|Breakfast at Tiffany's]]''.{{sfn|Oke 2001, The Art of Woo}}{{sfn|Braun 2001, Art of Woo}}
As there was a scheduling conflict with [[Sandra Oh]], the first choice to play Alessa Woo, Helen Lee cast [[MuchMusic]] video jockey Sook-Yin Lee.{{sfn|Hoolboom|2008|p=32}} Sook-Yin Lee underwent acting courses in [[Montreal]] with Jacqueline McClintock.{{sfn|Hoolboom|2008|p=32}}
Helen Lee was lent paintings from local artists [[Michael Snow]] and [[Suzy Lake]] to use for filming, while [[Ron Sexsmith]] and [[Kurt Swinghammer]] did the soundtrack.{{sfn|Hoolboom|2008|p=33}} ''The Art of Woo'' was filmed digitally in Toronto over 20 days between March and April 2001.{{sfn|Hoolboom|2008|p=33}}{{sfn|TFTO 2001, Feature Films}} Locations included the [[University of Toronto]], [[The Power Plant]], and Archive Gallery Inc.{{sfn|Hoolboom|2008|p=33}}
==Release and reception== ''The Art of Woo'' was released at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]].{{sfn|Hoolboom|2008|p=32}}
Upon its release, ''The Art of Woo'' was "slashed" by Canadian critics.{{sfn|Hoolboom|2008|p=33}} Erin Oke of ''[[Exclaim!]]'' found the film to have "many appealing aspects", but felt that the situations were often contrived and it lacked a uniting vision; she surmised that it could have been a better film had it not tried "quite so hard to be likeable all the time".{{sfn|Oke 2001, The Art of Woo}} Lisa Braun of ''[[Jam!]]'' enjoyed the soundtrack but found the dialogue poor; she summarized that the film was "uneven, but audiences [would] be interested to see what Lee does next".{{sfn|Braun 2001, Art of Woo}} Jonathan Crow, writing for the [[Rovi Corporation]], found the film "less fun and less accomplished than a third grade theater production".{{sfn|Crow|n.d.}} At the 2002 [[Genie Awards]], Ron Sexmith won ''Best Achievement in Music – Original Song'' for his work in the film.{{sfn|Crow|n.d.}}
==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
== Sources == {{refbegin}} *{{cite web |url = http://jam.canoe.com/Movies/Reviews/A/theartofwoo_braun_sun_html/2001/12/07/752269.html |title = Art Of Woo an incomplete study |date = 7 December 2001 |access-date = 15 January 2012 |last = Braun |first = Lisa |work = Jam! |ref = {{harvid|Braun 2001, Art of Woo}} }}{{dead link|date=April 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} * {{cite web |last=Crow |first=Jonathan |title=The Art of Woo |website=AllMovie |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-art-of-woo-vm1446490/review |date=n.d.}} *{{cite web |url = http://www.toronto.ca/tfto/pdf/2001prods.pdf |title = Feature Films |page = 1 |date = 20 December 2001 |access-date = 15 January 2012 |archive-date = 5 March 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070305174236/http://www.toronto.ca/tfto/pdf/2001prods.pdf |publisher = Toronto Film and Television Office |ref = {{harvid|TFTO 2001, Feature Films}} |url-status = dead }} *{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n8eOKiK3llYC |title=Practical Dreamers: Conversations with Movie Artists |last1=Hoolboom |first1=Michael |authorlink=Mike Hoolboom |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-55245-200-4 |publisher=Coach House Books |location=Toronto }} *{{cite web |url = http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/Film/art_of_woo-helen_lee |title = The Art of Woo Directed by Helen Lee |date = November 2001 |access-date = 15 January 2012 |archive-date = 15 January 2013 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130115112159/http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/Film/art_of_woo-helen_lee |last = Oke |first = Erin |work = Exclaim! |ref = {{harvid|Oke 2001, The Art of Woo}} |url-status = dead }} {{refend}}
==External links== *{{IMDb title|id=0280436|title=The Art of Woo}} *''[http://www.cfccreates.com/our_projects/view_project.php?id=108 The Art of Woo]'' at the [[Canadian Film Centre]] website. *[http://helenleefilm.com/Art%20of%20Woo/The%20Art%20of%20Woo%20Script/The%20Art%20of%20Woo%20Script.htm Script] at Helen Lee's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Art Of Woo}} [[Category:2001 films]] [[Category:English-language Canadian films]] [[Category:2001 English-language films]] [[Category:Canadian romantic comedy films]] [[Category:2001 romantic comedy films]] [[Category:Canadian Film Centre films]] [[Category:Films about Chinese Canadians]] [[Category:2001 Canadian films]] [[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]]