Film

Movie theaters, reviews and showtimes in New York, plus articles, trailers and more
 

Vincent & Theo (1990)

Director: Robert Altman

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Scripted by Julian Mitchell, this covers much the same period (from Van Gogh's decision to paint full-time to the death of his art-dealer brother) as Minnelli's Lust for Life. Indeed, the films are not so very different. True, the focus on the brothers' close but troubled relationship not only mirrors the uneast symbiosis between art and finance, but offers through their parallel experiences a quasi-mystical dimension entirely in keeping with Vincent's art. But the film goes further than Minnelli's in its palpable - sordid, even - physicality and readiness to depict vincent's less endearing qualities. Tim Roth, superb as Vincent, veers convincingly between morose introspection and fervered intensity, while Paul Rhys' twitchy Theo lends depth to a traditionally shadowy figure. Best of all is Altman's simple, uncluttered direction, which makes sensitive use of a strong cast, Jean Lepine's evocative location photography, and Gabriel Yared's compulsive music. Nowhere does Altman sermonise about the artist's greatness; his achievement is allowed to speak for itself. If only more film-makers had such confidence and integrity.

Author: GA 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields


Cast & crew

Director: Robert Altman

Producer: Ludi Boeken, Emma Hayter, David Conroy

Cast: Tim Roth, Paul Rhys, Johanna Ter Steege, Wladimir Yordanoff, Jip Wijngaarden, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Hans Kesting full cast

Duration: 140 mins


Features

Making a name for himself

Making a name for himself

Sin Nombre's Cary Joji Fukunaga learned his lessons well.

To the letter

Forty years later, Costa-Gavras's Z still brims with fury.

Mind over matter

David Cronenberg reflects on a most bizarre body: his own corpus of work.

Fool's gold

Can an Oscar win lead to a cursed career? Here are five stories of postaward professional meltdowns.

We are the championed

Terrorists and teens abound in this year's "Film Comment Selects."

A history of violence

Matteo Garrone's kaleidoscopic Gomorrah wallops you with Italy's crime crisis.

True romantic

James Gray exchanges urban amorality for amour in Two Lovers.

Playing in the dark

MoMA salutes pianist Stuart Oderman's 50 years as the one-man sound of silents.

Junk bonds

Cast and crew recall the making of the classic NYC drug drama The Panic in Needle Park.