Film paints wonderful picture
Loving Vincent (M)
95 mins ★★★★ 1⁄2
Every now and then, a groundbreaking movie comes along that does something so new and startling that it shows us cinema in a completely fresh way.
Occasionally this broken ground forges a path for more films to follow suit. With 2009’s Avatar, James Cameron’s innovative development of existing (but still burgeoning) technologies such as motion-capture and next-level 3D raised the bar for visual effects in fantasy blockbusters. By comparison, when 2011’s The Artist won Academy Awards and audiences’ hearts with its throwback to the blackand-white, silent movies of yesteryear, people thought it had opened the gates for more – but it turned out one such wonder was probably enough.
Loving Vincent is stunning in a whole new way, although the amount of work and length of time taken to produce it may render it a one-hit wonder. Fictionalising the story of Vincent van Gogh’s final days (and disputed suicide), the Polish production was filmed using human actors but then hand-painted, painstakingly, by a team of more than 100 artists who have created an exquisite contribution to the genre of animated movies with this first, fully painted feature. Adopting van Gogh’s signature style, and frequently using his actual paintings as establishing shots for scenes, the moving oil paintings on screen deliver the viewer an incredible effect of immersion and starry-eyed delight.
The result is not just a sumptuous visual feast, although it helps that van Gogh was known for his rich royal blues and golden yellows. In the texture of the oil paint and the constant flickering of brush strokes, it is very vibrant. But the quest narrative also rides along well, helped by the juxtaposition of black-and-white flashbacks, which keep your eyes interested.
There are subtly identifiable actors such as Saoirse Ronan and Chris O’Dowd (The IT Crowd) peopling the scenes. Four years in the making, the resulting tale is a wonder to behold.
– Sarah Watt