LOVING VINCENT

Not a great movie but a unique and informative one, as well as an impressive achievement. Reproducing several of Van Gogh's most famous portraits, and other paintings of his, LOVING VINCENT brings them to life with a kind of painted animation (that used a hundred painters, according to the intro) in a story based mostly on factual biographical incidents.

The voice part of the acting is good, though to me it was odd to hear English and Irish accents coming out of French and Dutch characters. And the writing pretty good, considering the challenge of creating a compelling story out of paintings (the story centers around the mystery of Van Gogh's death).

As for the directing, when the film is not visually riffing on Van Gogh's original paintings, but instead illustrating speculative scenes not painted by the artist, it turns to blacks and grays in the style of enhanced film that I always find less engaging than actual film (or its digital equivalent).

I'm glad I saw it, and on the big screen, if just for the technique of bringing the paintings—and the characters and settings in them—to life.