While Hollywood continues to rehash old franchises and pump out never-ending sequels of superhero movies, indie studios like Breakthru productions and Trademark films are carving their path. Artistic films that take risks are rare these days, and the best seem to come from independent studios.
'Loving Vincent'
"Loving Vincent" is a unique film in many ways. Produced over the course of eight years by over 100 artists, the entire film is animated using oil paintings. Much of the film is in the impressionist style of Vincent Van Gogh himself. The movie chronicles the journey of Armand Roulin, the son of a postman who was friends with the late Vincent, to deliver a letter to the deceased artist's brother.
What ensues is a journey to discover what happened during the last days of Vincent's life.
The story is very dramatic. While it starts off slow (and somewhat dull), the drama soon picks up the pace. Even during the mundane scenes in the film, I found myself captivated due to the beautiful artwork the film presents. "Loving Vincent" is just that - beautiful. The movie is a Work Of Art. From bright colors, sad blues, and pastels, to the dark black and white oil-based painting that serves as the movies flashbacks, the film is incredibly gorgeous. While watching the film, I found my thoughts drifting into how much work would be required to pull off such an incredible feat. The level of artistry displayed is genuinely remarkable.
Top Notch Acting / Production
The acting in the movie is quite good, especially considering the film is made with painted representations of the actors. The expressions on the faces of the actors look real and sincere. The paintings are also very life-like representations of the actors they represent, but great care was also used in casting.
The actors in the film are based on real-life individuals from the life of Vincent Van Gogh, many of whom were painted by the man himself. When the actors are compared side by side with the original paintings, a clear resemblance can be seen.
An animated movie, especially one made entirely out of paintings is going to rely heavily on its dialogue and audio.
The audio production in this film is stunningly good. Not only are the sound effects perfectly fitting and vocals crisp, but the art perfectly matches the dialogue being spoken and appears entirely in sync with the actors.
All acting in the movie is done well with a few standouts. Douglas Booth plays the lead role wonderfully and is very memorable with "Game of Thrones" Jerome Flynn playing a small but fantastic role as well. One other standout was actor Bill Thomas who immediately brought the entire theatre into a fit of laughter (though I'm not sure if it was intentional or not).
4/5
"Loving Vincent" is a beautiful work of art worth seeing if you are a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, art, or indie films.
I do not believe it will please everyone, but when one considers the magnitude and scope of the work, it is truly incredible a feat. The story will be boring to some; it did inspire me to think. A common theme throughout the film is perspective. In a time where many folks are divided, it is sometimes hard to place oneself in another's shoes. "Loving Vincent," asks us to consider that everyone has their reality. It shows us that a man is a compilation of the stories told about him. And it pulls our mind in different directions as it opens us to consider the experiences of others.
