This is a great little biopic looking at the latter stages of the life of an hugely creative but flawed human being. Willem Dafoe really does offer up a convincing performance as Vincent van Gogh - he encapsulates both the creative and temperamental madness of this genius artist wonderfully; and there is even a passing resemblance. Rupert Friend also delivers well as his increasingly stretched benefactor brother Theo and Oscar Isaac is likewise strong as Paul Gauguin, with whom van Gogh has what can only be described as a turbulent and competitive relationship. Julian Schnabel has something to be proud of here with an intimate and emotional depiction that's prudent with the dialogue and the cinematography is first rate too.
I get what _At Eternity's Gate_ was going for, visually. But that thing was not a thing i enjoyed. The framing made me rather uncomfortable, which, again, kind of the point, but not for me. Massive props to Dafoe of course, his Oscar nomination for best actor is not uncalled for, and special extra props to Mads Mikkelsen, the sequence between the two of them was far and away my absolute favourite part of _At Eternity's Gate_. But so much of the rest of the thing is just nature shots accompanied by violently jarring piano, and I cannot call myself a fan.
_Final rating:★★ - Had some things that appeal to me, but a poor finished product._
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