LOVING VINCENT (2017) – My rating: 7.5/10

Loving Vincent is a 2017 experimental animated biographical drama about the life of painter Vincent van Gogh, and in particular, the circumstances of his death. Loving Vincent is written and directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman and is the first fully painted animated feature film. Every frame is hand oil painted on canvas, which has never been done before making Loving Vincent the most unique animated film. It took a team of 125 painters to achieve its visual master piece.

One year after Vincent van Gogh’s (Robert Gulaczyk) suicide, Postman Joseph Roulin (Chris O’Dowd) asks his son Armand (Douglas Booth) to deliver Van Gogh’s last letter to his brother, Theodorus “Theo” van Gogh (Bartlomiej Sroka). Roulin finds Vincent’s death suspicious, as merely weeks earlier Van Gogh claimed through letters that his mood was calm and normal. Armand reluctantly agrees and heads off for Paris.

Père Tanguy (John Sessions), a Montmartre art supplier, tells Armand that Theo actually died six months after Vincent. He suggests that Armand travel to Auvers-sur-Oise and look for Dr. Paul Gachet (Jerome Flynn), who housed Van Gogh after his release from an asylum, shared his love for art, and attended the funeral.   Once there, Armand learns that the doctor is out on business.

Will Armand get to the bottom of the mystery concerning Van Gogh’s death?  While the adventure is skimpy, it gives you much school for thought.  Don’t look for too many answers because they’re not there.  I found the story to lack content therefore not doing justice to the uniqueness of this film.  I’ve rated it mostly on the oil painted frames.  Loving Vincent is not a bad movie, however, it’s definitely not for children — they would fall asleep or just not show any interest.  Loving Vincent is on DVD and Blu-Ray if you’re interested.  It would be great just to see the frame work.  Check it out!

[Loving Vincent is Oscar nominated for Best Animated Feature]

 

MOLLY’S GAME (2017) – My rating: 8.5/10

Molly’s Game is a crime drama written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (in his directorial debut), based on the memoir, Molly’s Game: From Hollywood’s Elite to Wall Street’s Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker by Molly Bloom.  This film is based on a true story and is truly captivating.

Her first accident didn’t stop her but after her Olympic dreams are shattered by a second accident during a qualifying run, world-class skier Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) has to rethink her future and skiing isn’t in it. Not feeling like she wants to go straight into law school as originally planned, she instead heads to Las Vegas and finds herself assisting in the production of a high-end underground poker game. Discovering she’s got a knack for this sort of operation, she moves the action to New York and goes into business for herself.  Eventually, a young Molly Bloom ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game in Los Angeles and New York City, for nearly a decade, before being arrested by the FBI. Her players included Hollywood celebrities, athletes, business titans and the Russian mob. With the help of her straight-laced defense attorney, Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) Molly faced stiff federal charges all while keeping the integrity her clients.

After Molly’s skiing career ended, her father Larry Bloom (Kevin Costner) maintained a distance from his daughter allowing her to find her own way.

I thoroughly enjoyed Molly’s Game.  The acting was brilliant and I found the movie entertaining, charming and enjoyable.  At the 75th Golden Globe Awards, Molley’s Game received two nominations, Best Screenplay and Best Actress – Drama for Chastain. Sorkin also earned nominations for his script at the Writers Guild of America and BAFTA Awards.  Check it out — I think you’ll enjoy it!

[Molly’s Game received an Oscar nomination for Adapted Screenplay]