The process of animating over the top of pre-shot footage (rotoscoping) is a procedure that has existed since the dawn of cinema, most notably applied recently by Richard Linklater (Waking Life).
Loving Vincent pushes the envelope further, with Directors Hugh Welchman and Dorota Kobiela (and an army of artists) making the technically ambitious decision to turn their film into a Van Gogh oil painting through the arduous process of hand painting each frame.
While some might find this a painstaking exercise in gimmickry, there is little doubt the result is an immersive experience, nudging you ever closer to the work of the famous Dutch painter.
The film investigates the months leading up to Vincent Van Gogh's death. Postmaster's son Roulin (Douglas Booth) has been charged with the task of delivering Vincent Van Gogh's posthumous letter to his now late brother, Theo. Upon arriving in the Parisian suburb of Auvers-sur-Oise, home to a close companion of Vincent, Roulin discovers that the locals have conflicting accounts of Vincent's apparent "suicide".
The mysterious events surrounding Vincent's death become a fascination for Roulin as he sleuths his way around the town looking very much like a gumshoe wanting to crack a murder case.
