At Eternity's Gate (2018)

Despite Dafoe being about 30 years older than Van Gogh was at this period, I bought him in the role. I loved the insights into his compulsion to paint -- the film posits that he knew it to be his purpose, even as it damaged relationships and pushed him toward madness.

I did experience immediate irritation at the framing/shooting of this film -- shaky, forced angles, odd focus, as though they're making a movie about art impressionism INTO impressionism (ugh) -- but the movie itself was too good to be completely ruined by these quirks. I just wish the director had trusted the power of the story being told, as well as the talents of his star, and simply allowed the camera to capture it cleanly rather than forcing the camerawork to be part of it.

B-