Hi all, I wanted to recommend a film called At Eternity's Gate about the last days of Van Gogh. I'm pretty sure he was an INFP! The film also juxtaposes the so-called madness of the artist with the "normality" of the people around him. It made me reflect on the nature of madness - that often people who are considered mad aren't mad because there is something is wrong with them, it's just the environment around them is hostile. Highly recommend this film!
P.S. Does anyone have any film recommendations? Ideally, the ones that make you think (and feel)!
After the Wedding Date watched: 04/04/2020
IMDb: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes critics: 88%
Rotten Tomatoes audience: 87%
Synopsis (from IMDb) A manager of an orphanage in India is sent to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he discovers a life-altering family secret.
My thoughts: Good movie, the acting is great, and it sucks that the movie that may be more recognizable is the remake, which I haven't watched yet but judging by the reviews it may not be even close to what the original one is. The twists truly were a surprise but didn't felt forced which is good, I thought judging by the cover that it was going to be a romantic movie, but it isn't at all. Quite good drama, worth a watch.
8/10
The Lighthouse
Date watched: 04/04/2020
IMDb: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes critics: 90%
Rotten Tomatoes audience: 72%
Synopsis (from IMDb) Two lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity whilst living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.
My thoughts: Man what a movie, it was so amazing, everything, the sound mixing, the acting, the cinematography, it's a shame but not a surprise it wasn't recognized by the Academy. You need to watch it, Parasite is still my 2019 movie, but this one is so close, no words can describe the journey. 10/10
At Eternity's Gate
Date watched: 05/04/2020
IMDb: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes critics: 80%
Rotten Tomatoes audience: 63%
Synopsis (from IMDb) A look at the life of painter Vincent Van Gogh during the time he lived in Arles and Auvers-sur-Oise, France.
My thoughts: Good movie, with some beautiful shots, and coincidentally Mads Mikkelsen appeared on it, so it had the two starring actors of the two movies I watched before haha 7/10
Over the next 34 Days r/OscarsDeathRace are hosting a viewing marathon in the run up to the 91st Academy Award Ceremony. This series aims to promote a discussion of this year's nominees and gives subscribers a chance to weigh in on what they've seen, what they liked, and who they think will win. For more information on what we're going to be watching, have a look at the 34 Days of Film thread. For a full list of this year's nominations have a look here and for their availability check this out.
Today's film is At Eternity's Gate. Tomorrow's film will be Cold War. Yesterday's film was Can you Ever Forgive Me.
Film: At Eternity's Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac
Trailer: Official Trailer HD
Metacritic: 78
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Nomination Categories: Best Actor
I would like to discuss this movie and read what your thoughts are?
I just want to start with Willem Dafoe as Vincent Van Gogh. I'm actually glad that he got nominated for an Oscar for this because his performance was so mesmerising yet unnerving. Though i'm not familiar with Van Gogh, I couldn't decide whether to be sympathetic for him at all in this movie yet i couldn't help but also be intrigued
And also the camera work for this movie felt uncanny with the heavy use of the handheld camera style but felt like it worked? The close up portrait shots when Mads Mikkelsen is talking to him reminded me of Silence of the Lambs. Also the visuals and the cinematography looked really great
What are your thoughts on this movie?
https://boxd.it/GKXQv
“I feel God is nature and nature is beauty.” Vincent van Gogh, At Eternity’s Gate
Vincent van Gogh is an artist that most people know of. Whether from his depictions of nature or cities, everyone knows of it. But I have never really known who he is. I had heard of him cutting off his ear, which definitely made an impression, but I never really knew who he was. Or that was until I saw At Eternity's Gate.
The movie follows the well-known artist Vincent through his life. We get to see his mental health, his views on art, and on life itself. It has a very simple story, just being Vincent's life, but it becomes complex in execution. With all of the cinematography having a POV feel to it (that at times becomes a little distracting), we truly get the feeling that we are observing someone. That we walk with him, truly knowing him as a friend. Not that we get to interact with any of the characters, but just, observing.
And I think that has to do with the director being an artist himself. Julian Schnabel has made many artworks that have a very similar feel as Vincents. They both don’t make that beautiful or realistic looking artwork, but that’s what makes their art so fascinating and interesting. They don’t capture reality, but they give it a new form. And while the movie doesn’t have the style that Julian has in his paintings, which would be hard with live action, we can see how Julian understands Vincent in a lot of ways. I don’t know if these are completely real stories, but they show us Vincents personality and history in a very interesting way.
I also really liked the music of the film. It has a similar feel to Kensuke Ushio’s soundtrack, especially A Silent Voices. And the film shares a lot of similarities to that film. Both it’s music and visuals, with the use of lens flares being very effective. Like I said before, it really makes you feel like you are observing Vincent's life in a way I haven’t seen before.
And lastly, the acting from Willem Defoe was just phenomenal. While he is a lot older than Vincent actually was (Vincent died at 37 and Willem is currently around 60 years old), the acting was just so perfect. I’m not great at telling if someone does a good job acting in a movie, but there are exceptions and this is one of them. I couldn’t see anyone else do this role.
I can confidently say that At Eternity's Gate is the best movie of 2018 (For now, at least). Spiderverse and The Favorite were both r
... keep reading on reddit ➡
At Eternity’s Gate- I was not familiar with the director of the film. I only knew Van Gogh was the subject. However, the thing is shot POV. It covers the last years of the artist in his personal life more than his artwork.
Van Gogh was misunderstood, expressive, and tortured. I found the thrust of the film to be the complication of his mental illness and his compulsion to paint. It is a common trope to have a tortured artist whose genius is a burden yet compels them to create. However, At Eternity’s Gate, seems to waver in and out of this and complicate it. Director Julian Schnabel pictures the film similarly to Van Gogh’s painting process. It’s frenzied, disjointed, and highly idiosyncratic. The feverish nature of the process communicates Van Gogh performing an exorcism on canvas. As if defeating demons through artistic expression would grant the world salvation. Simultaneously the world which desperately needs Van Gogh’s “vision” is achingly beautiful.
The beauty and vastness of nature (approaching eternity) serves an escape or inspiration for Van Gogh, the social outcast and artist. Willem DaFoe wields the camera giving the audience exactly what Vincent sees: torn shoes crunching the ground and hands making a path through the tall grass. Nothing but Van Gogh and Southern France exist. Long gazes into the horizon with meditative sessions in the grass. Aimless. Until he finds his subject. Is Vincent’s art madness or its cure?
Early in the film it is apparent Van Gogh is not only alone but unknown. His paintings and portraits are unpopular and incredibly unique. The camera is intimate and moves at Van Gogh’s urgency or leisure. The score is a light touch on piano. Van Gogh takes us through his lucid moments until we despair into the grey fog of madness and sometimes sin.
Initially, Willem Dafoe’s performance left something to be desired. But upon closer inspection, the dialogue is off-putting. The standalone scenes of Vincent interacting with his environment are experiential and brilliant. The camera remains close throughout never repulsed by expressions of madness and insurmountable sadness. However, scenes with his brother, townsfolk, or fellow artist Paul Gauguin cannot seem to strike a balance between overwrought and distant. Schnabel insists on using clunky expository dialogue and speech-making to relate Van Gogh with the people in his life. Furthermore, many characters are defined by the emotion they evoke in Vincent rather than
... keep reading on reddit ➡Date started: 1/1/2019
Date viewed: 2/18/2019
At Eternity's Gate takes a look at the life of Vincent van Gogh. It features amazing performances and looks beautiful. If you're a fan of Van Gogh, I highly recommend the movie.
Rating: 76/100
[Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_Eternity's_Gate_(film))
Both of them are in my nearby theater this weekend, but I don't know which one to choose?
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6938828/
