10 Things You Should Know About the Oscar-Nominated Film "Cutie and the Boxer"

Zachary Heinzerling's Oscar-nominated documentary explores love, life, and the often challenging pursuit of art

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Ulay and Marina Abramovic. Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz—the history of art wouldn’t be the same without some of its most famously passionate couples. Zachary Heinzerling’s Cutie and the Boxer brings yet another dynamic duo to the forefront: Ushio and Noriko Shinohara, the Japan-born and New York City-based artists whose tumultuous 40-year marriage is at the center of this 2013 documentary, which will compete for a Best Documentary Feature Oscar this weekend.

Though the Shinoharas have not (yet) gained the same level of recognition as those previously mentioned paramours, Cutie and the Boxer just might change that. Noriko is an artist in her own right (she’s the author of a quirky “Cutie and Bullie” illustration series), but she has spent the past several decades putting her own artistic endeavors aside to support her alcoholic husband and son. Her charismatic but often troublesome husband Ushio, the titular “Boxer,” has experienced a fair amount of success for his unique style of creation, in which he dons a pair of boxing gloves to create performance-style murals. His other works include colorful, misshapen sculptures of strange creatures and distorted motorcycles and aggressively vibrant drawings that ride the line between expressionist paintings and graffiti. 

Despite his wife’s ongoing support, and the fact that Ushio has exhibited his work at galleries around the world, the Shinoharas’ story is one of constant struggle—creatively, financially, and emotionally. And the resulting film—which is streaming now on Netflix—is a fascinating look at the sacrifices artists must make to pursue their passions and the effect these choices have on the people around them.

Before the Oscar winners are announced on Sunday evening, here are 10 Things You Should Know About Cutie and the Boxer.

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10. The film's road to the Oscars began at Sundance.

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9. The film was five years in the making.

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8. Zachary Heinzerling had no idea what Ushio and Noriko were saying.

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7. The movie is as much about relationships as it is about art.

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6. Noriko is the real star.

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5. All artists are exhibitionists.

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4. Ushio's favorite part of his newfound fame is all the meat!

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3. "Cutie and the Boxer" led Heinzerling to Beyoncé.

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2. The Oscar nod has brought the couple recognition, but no guarantee that they can pay next month's rent.

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1. Don't bother asking Ushio "Who are you wearing?" on the red carpet.

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