Ushio Shinohara and his wife Noriko have been married for 40 years. It has not been an easy ride for these two Japanese artists. Filmmaker Zachary Heinzerling has fashioned a bold documentary that immerses us in the couple's struggle with his chauvinistic behavior, their shared history, her late blooming as a gifted artist, and the adjustments they have to make in their relationship.

Mel and Patricia Krantzler have observed:

"Become kind teachers and receptive students to each other. Marriage is an enriching lifetime learning process — a process of becoming a more fully human person with the essential help of one's spouse."

Noriko came to New York City in 1972 as an art student from Japan. Ushio was an avant-garde painter in Japan whose boxing paintings put him in the spotlight even before he arrived in New York City in 1969. She fell in love and married this controlling artist who was 21 years older. Noriko gave birth to their son shortly afterwards. Eventually, he followed his father in being addicted to alcohol.

In the film, we see that Ushio still possesses phenomenal energy at the age of 80 as he punches the canvas with boxing gloves smeared with paint. He is happy to have his work put on display at a gallery but is forced to travel to Japan to sell some paintings for much needed cash to pay the rent.

Ushio is used to getting all of the attention and seems taken aback when Noriko is asked to put her artistic creations on display at the same gallery where his are being shown. Noriko has come up with a series of paintings and drawings organized around Cutie and Bullie (representing Noriko and Ushio) which reflect the challenges faced by couples in a marriage of complete opposites. These cartoon-like characters also reveal her musings on women, sensuality, and fantasy.

Therapist Salvador Minuchin has written:

"A marriage is more than the sum of its parts. In marriage, one plus one doesn't equal two; it forms something different, something that is much more than two."

This documentary does not shy away from the conflicts between Noriko and Ushio in their lengthy marriage. But they do have their shared memories of lives dedicated to art and that is something they both can celebrate. Equally special is the fact that their creative partnership has endured the test of time. One of the unique triumphs of Cutie and the Boxer is that it reveals how this marriage mysteriously adds up to be more than the sum of its parts.