Sunday 4 February 2018

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2017: Jerome Flynn in Loving Vincent

Jerome Flynn did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Dr. Paul Gachet in Loving Vincent.

Loving Vincent is the beautifully animated film that examines the end of Vincent van Gogh's life through the Citizen Kane method as the son of one of van Gogh's few friends, Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth), attempts to find who his final letter should be delivered to.

Jerome Flynn plays Dr. Paul Gachet, a real life figure from van Gogh's life, that this film uses as the most pivotal figure in potentially finding an understanding of van Gogh's final fate. The film takes its time to fully reveal the man and his own "testimony" on van Gogh serves as essentially the climax of the film. We do witness the man beforehand through Flynn's performance, which to quickly address is classical rotoscope therefore the original work of the actor is captured, mostly in glimpses. We get shades of the man and of his relationship with van Gogh. These are brief though Flynn effectively realizes the different parts of a relationship whether it is a moment of seeming camaraderie between the doctor and the artist or one of antagonism. These glimpses help to create this mystery of van Gogh's final days, and effectively builds this anticipation for when we will finally hear the direct testimony from the man rather the bits of gossip we are granted before then. Flynn emerges from the film in a performance very different than his sardonic work in Game of Thrones. Flynn's performance here is rich with the history of memory. From the outset Flynn exudes such a kindly demeanor as he introduces the young man himself through his knowledge from Vincent. While directly quoting the man there is such palatable nostalgic pride that Flynn exudes for that past relationship. As the young man asks about his relationship with Vincent Flynn captures the pain of this all. There is always these glints of joy he brings in a slight smile though meanwhile his eyes always seem to be looking towards the past. When he speaks of the relationship there is a somberness that overwhelms that Flynn manages to imply toward Gachet's own failures rather than only the loss of Vincent. Flynn reveals such a haunted man in every second of this scene as he captures the difficult past in such vibrant detail even when we do not directly see it. He infuses his work with the time that has passed as he grants that sense of pain that is of a wound that stays with the doctor. There is a shame that Flynn finds as the man reveals his own vulnerabilities that were exposed by Vincent. It is never the only facet as there is this real frustration that Flynn delivers in every response to the young man's theories that Vincent might have been shot by someone else, a frustration directed by Flynn as this definite acceptance of the truth of the death. The truth he reveals in flashback and in the current moment. Flynn is heartbreaking, and incredibly powerful as he reveals the two sides of the doctor's grief for his failures in the same scene. The moment in the past where the grief is raw as Flynn reveals the intensity he cries over his fallen friend, and then in the present where he still reveals a man still troubled as relives this memory. In this single scene Flynn reveals in such detail all that Vincent meant to this man, and sums up the tragedy of that life. It is brilliant work by Flynn as he captures in only a few minutes the real emotional truth of the story, and leaves an undeniable impression upon the film.

38 comments:

Luke Higham said...

Had a feeling this would be a quick one.

I hope Hamill and Stewart are coming next.

Luke Higham said...

He could possibly get into the top ten.

Charles H said...

Very impressive performance.

Anonymous said...

Louis: your top 10 mark rylance acting moments

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Rylance:

1. Final Confrontation with More - Wolf Hall
2. Standing Man - Bridge of Spies
3. Reaction to the King's "death" - Wolf Hall
4. Watching More's execution - Wolf Hall
5. Reaction to the King's Anger - Wolf Wall
6. "There's no hiding from this son" - Dunkirk
7. Watching Anne Boleyn's execution - Wolf Hall
8. Interrogating Boleyn - Wolf Hall
9. Downed Pilot - Dunkirk
10. The Bridge - Bridge of Spies

Anonymous said...

Louis have you seen any of the feature length documentary nominees?

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Have you seen The Last Jedi since your initial viewing. I don't expect your opinion to improve or anything.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Yes I've seen all of them.

Luke:

No, but I will watch it again for Hamill's review.

Michael McCarthy said...

Yes! I'm really glad he did well here. Now I'll just be crossing my fingers for a surprise 5 for Boyega.

Calvin Law said...

He was definitely very good. I'll admit though that the film hasn't stuck with me that much, and I'll have to root for my personal favourite nominee Coco at the Oscars.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Hamill better get a five, or I’ll make you review every male performance in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Do you see Ben Foster as Llewelyn Moss if they made No Country for Old Men today? And either Oscar Isaac or Adam Driver as Anton Chigurh?

Giuseppe Fadda said...

@Psifonian: I did not mean that your criticism wasn’t valid in any way, nor that you can’t comment on those movies because you’re not part of the LGBTQ comunity yourself. I was just saying that I have great admirations and love towards both movies (and Blue is the Warmest Color too although I have a couple of problems with that).

RatedRStar said...

Robson and Jerome, damn the 1990s lol =D.

One of my only issues with nearly every LGBTQ film is that they end on a sad or depressing ending, rarely a happy one with films like Brokeback, A Single Man, Boys Dont Cry, Lan Yu, CMBYN, Milk, BITWC, even films like The Kids Are Alright, Moonlight and Carol dont really have happy endings although maybe hopeful ones.

Pride might be the only one that has an actual happy ending that I can think of off the top of my head.

John Smith said...

Does anyone know Louis thoughts and rating on scorsese in Taxi Driver?

Anonymous said...

Louis how would you rank and what are your thoughts on the documentary nominees?

moviefilm said...

Louis (and everybody else): Your top 10 best edited films of this century?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Moviefilm: In no particular order-

Drive
Mad Max Fury Road
The Return of the King
Whiplash
The Social Network
I Saw the Devil
The Dark Knight
The Prestige
District 9
Dunkirk
Collateral

Psifonian said...

Giuseppe: I know, I wasn't directing that at you more than I was vocalizing it in general. We're good.

Calvin Law said...

Moviefilm: I'll give you 5 for now,

The Dark Knight
Hot Fuzz
Mad Max Fury Road
Phantom Thread
The Wolf of Wall Street

Calvin Law said...

Also, man, Solo looks...crap. I'm hoping to be proven wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNW0B0HsvVs

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Yeah, any expectation went completely out the window on this one. I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being the shortest film in the franchise.

They should've left Solo alone.

Calvin Law said...

Yeah exactly. I will say though that Ehrenreich is not the problem with the trailer. He seems fine and honestly it'd be a bad idea to do a Ford impression. It's just the general tone that seems really off.

Gus B. said...

Moviefilme: in no particular order

The Social Network
Wonderstruck
Mad Max: Fury Road
Arrival
Whiplash
Baby Driver
In the Mood For Love
5 Centimeters per Second
Paprika
Les Herbes Folles

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: I don't have a problem with Ehrenreich but I get the feeling that the character development will be severely lacking, which is a bit of a shame as I was more intrigued with Glover's casting and Bettany's talents will be wasted again.

Also, I'm really not sure about Harrelson.

Luke Higham said...

And less said about Clarke the better.

RatedRStar said...

People were already saying apparently even before the trailer that the hope for Solo had very low expectations, was there any reason why?

Luke Higham said...

RatedRStar:

Lord/Miller firing
Ron Howard
Troubled Production
First trailer comes 3 months before release when it should've been uploaded during Late Christmas, early new year
Howard misleading fans on the upload date etc.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your cast and director for an 80's All the Money in the World.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Obviously with all of these I'm only looking at the effectiveness of the film making itself.

1. Icarus
2. Faces Places
3. Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
4. Last Man in Aleppo
5. Strong Island

Icarus has an incredibly absorbing subject matter that it slowly unveils itself through a failed Lance Armstrong documentary to become something of far grander scale through the Russian scientist he uses for his monitored doping run. It brilliantly utilizes this strange turn of events as he breaks down the world scale doping that this individual was involved with while also revealing his own personal struggle to survive this ordeal in such affecting detail. The filmmakers combine the potency of the real story with a real skill in unraveling all the details in a clear, concise and compelling fashion while also maintaining an emotional anchor within Grigory Rodchenkov's story.

Faces Places is the only one of these documentaries without at least an ounce of tragedy within it. The only dramatic moment within this documentary is of Jean-luc Godard being a jerk by snubbing Agnes Varda. The rest of the film is a beautifully realized, very low key film, celebration of art and the lives of working class rural French. It's an unassuming yet captivating through just how tenderly it examines its subject matter granting such a real poignancy to Varda's and Jr's small scale project.

The last three films all are of tragic or potentially tragic real stories. They are only just fine in their telling of these stories though and don't go beyond, on a film making level, than what is already there. In some instances there may be a bit less.

Bryan:

Foster yes, but I hesitate on the other two. Not that they couldn't pull of the part, but Chigurh requires the performer to be naturally physically imposing. Driver and Isaac could be capable of this, but I've yet to see them as such.

John Smith:

Probably in in the Alternate 1976 supporting results, I know I've given them before.

moviefilm:

Black Hawk Down
Drive
Dunkirk
Hot Fuzz
Mad Max: Fury Road (The Best at least since JFK)
Memento
Phantom Thread
The Social Network
Whiplash
The Wolf of Wall Street

Anonymous:

All the Money in the World 1980's directed by Sidney Lumet:

J. Paul Getty: Joseph Cotten
Gail Harris: Meryl Streep
Fletcher Chase: Jeff Bridges
John Paul III: River Phoenix
Cinquanta: Giancarlo Giannini

Charles H said...

Moviefilm: My 5 would be

Drive(obviously)
Dunkirk
Memento
Fury Road
LOTR(Any one really)

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your top ten Mikkelsen moments.

Matt Mustin said...

Absolutely breaks my heart to say R.I.P. John Mahoney.

Psifonian said...

Mahoney's passing hurts, man. Martin Crane is my favorite sitcom dad.

Louis Morgan said...

RIP John Mahoney

What a "great souse".

Luke Higham said...

RIP John Mahoney

Matt Mustin said...

Psifonian: Absolutely agreed.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

1. The Look - The Hunt
2. Supermarket - The Hunt
3. Going to the school - The Hunt
4. Correcting Clara - The Hunt
5. Finding his dog - The Hunt
6. Ending - The Hunt
7. Confronting Theo the first time - The Hunt
8. The Execution - A Royal Affair
9. "You're really not going tell me are you?" - Casino Royale
10. Reunion with his son - The Hunt