‘Loving Vincent’
Directors: Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman
Stars: Douglas Booth, Saoirse Ronan, Jerome Flynn, Chris O’Dowd
Rating: PG-13
3.5 (Out Of 5) Globes
Plot: Set in 1891, a year after the death of Vincent Van Gogh, Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth) looks to return a letter written by the famous painter for his brother Theo. Armand travels across France in his quest, learning more and more about Vincent as he goes. But when he learns that Theo has also died, he turns his attention to trying to figure out whether or not Vincent killed himself, or whether he was actually murdered. Each of the film’s 65,000 frames is an oil painting on a canvas, which imitate the same technique as Van Gogh and is inspired by his work.
“Loving Vincent” is utterly transfixing. More than that, it’s soulful, gorgeous and genuinely breathtaking to look at. Each shot manages to capture a mood, and then impart that feeling in you. Because of the fact that each scene is inspired by a piece painted by Vincent Van Gogh, the long-deceased artist probably deserves a co-directing credit alongside Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman. The pair do a stellar job of evoking his work, while also making it a bona-fide cinematic entity, too. It is one that’s flawed, though. Because even though “Loving Vincent” is beautiful to look at, its plot is decidedly weak. The investigation into Vincent Van Goghs’s death just plods along rather than stirring, while its repeated monochromed flashbacks only slow down proceedings. However, despite these issues, “Loving Vincent” always manages to win back your affection because it’s just so exquisite to watch unfold. In those moments, “Loving Vincent” is unlike any other film this year. Just imagine how much more impactful it could have been if its plot was actually worth your attention, too.
