Loving Vincent (2017)
Every frame a Van Gogh oil painting.
Presentation:
Why watch a film like Dreams May Come emulating the painterly style when you can watch a film that’s actually painted? This takes the concept every frame a painting literally where artists spent 6 years oil painting each frame in Van Gogh’s style. Most of the paintings have gorgeous texture and color, but there are minor inconsistencies and the occasional shortcut where subjects are rotoscoped in fixed backgrounds. It’s very clear that the film was first shot live action as a foundation and then artists painted over it, no different than other animations. But as a result, some of the images feel more photographic than painterly with too fine detail, which would be forgivable if they had more interesting cinematography to begin with. I much preferred when they chose to depict the scene with Van Gogh’s abstract expressionism.
Conclusion:
This film is literally art, but I don’t think I would classify it as an art film. Most of the budget seemed to go to the art department because the writing and dialogue were lackluster. This felt like a Hollywood movie with overly dramatic music and mediocre performances. For narrative, I much preferred the storytelling in the 2018 version At Eternity’s Gate because Willem Dafoe’s performance was sublime. But if it’s pure artistry you want, then this will give you all the reason to love Vincent Van Gogh’s art.
Recommendations
Every frame a Van Gogh oil painting.