Dumpster diving for art

“Waste Land” tries to be one kind of film and, failing at that, shifts course. It starts with a focus on an artist and his work, but it quickly changes its focus to a group of inspiring landfill pickers.

“Waste Land” is nominally about the work of Brazilian artist Vik Muniz, who uses garbage as painting material.

At the film’s turning point, Muniz goes to a massive landfill in Rio de Janeiro, where pickers remove recyclables from the muck. These items are used for the newest set of paintings, and pickers help to assemble them. Muniz eventually auctions off the paintings and gives the profits to the workers.

The pickers are as compelling as Muniz is boring, and thankfully they commandeer the film. Too bad the film wastes time with such an uninspiring subject before changing its focus.