I’ve discussed before how the notion of there being no new
ideas in the realm of cinema really doesn’t bother me that much. I’m far more
concerned about stories being told well than whether or not I’ve already seen
something like it before. However, just because I’m apathetic towards the
possibility of fresh ideas doesn’t mean that I’m immediately turned off by that
same possibility. I say all this because today’s film, in no uncertain terms,
is a unique specimen. A production funded by the Polish Film Institute, with
some of its funding being crowdsourced through Kickstarter, that marks the
world’s first animated film made entirely of oil paintings. No line drawings,
no CGI, no instances of one trying to masquerade as the other; just real-ass
paintings.
Given the subject matter of today’s film, that being the life and
death of famed painter Vincent Van Gogh, this decision definitely fits but what
is the end result? This kind of high-concept filmmaking, rather than
high-concept narrative, very easily could devolve into being just a gimmick
meant to hold up an otherwise unremarkable film; think a more high-brow version
of the latest 3D movie. Ugh… enough with this empty cynicism and let’s get into
this truly incredible film already.
