1/16/18 - Loving Vincent (2017) - 6+/7-/10

I personally didn’t expect much from this film. I thought “Oh, this is going to be a cute film about Vincent Van Gogh and they’re going to tell it by animating the entirety in the artistic style of Van Gogh. Cute gimmick, but that will wear thin quickly…” I was quite pleased to be mistaken. Perhaps I didn’t give enough initial credit to the wistful sojourn passed the artifice for this was a tale of ardor and essence. Much more of an exploration of a mystery and pilgrimage to the heart & soul of a tortured artist, blasting by and through a simple rotoscoped brush technique fascination.  

Style over substance can be debated, but the beauty and artistry at work here cannot. The cynic in me wants to say “they pushed a button on a rotoscoping program” but I am sure it was much more difficult than that. The final product was so much more magical that I need to believe it. And, even if it was that simple, it is still captivating and exquisite. The shifts in VG’s style depending on which character, which time frame, and which mood was marvelous. It was so intricate and lovely, letting the finesse and enchantment of each brushstroke soak into our retinas and bleed into our souls. There is a sense of experiencing the world of VG through his own artistic faculties, which brings us that much closer to his very essence; surely the point of the of it all, literally and figuratively.

The characters and plot were a fine fiction, adroitly siphoned from the historic realities. A better sense of those closest to him and his final days, focused through the lens of deadly investigation, makes the impression and execution of this tale sing. I found myself drawn in, invested, and intrigued, not just by his death but by his life, which is the real alchemy behind perhaps the most aptly named film of the year.

This is a truly wondrous and splendid animated feature. Workable for kids, the classroom, the living room or the cinema. A teacher, a love letter, and a stunning visual feast.