Starry Night

He was rejected during his own miserable, visionary lifetime, so what would Vincent van Gogh do if he came back to life a century later to see that his name has become synonymous with genius and his artwork a bulwark of international finance? Paint a pretty yellow hat on one of his self-portraits to "make it more cheerful," according to Paul Davids's trite, ineptly made, self-congratulatory Starry Night.

It seems that one of the peasants who posed for The Potato Eaters concocted a "potato potion" that would allow Vincent (Abbott Alexander, with a varying Irish/Swedish accent) to come back to life in the present day. Unfazed by 100 years of change, Vincent notes that his works are being sold for millions and steals them back (no Thomas Crown Affair security problems here) to start a foundation for starving artists. Oh, and he paints contemporary canvases that seem appropriate for black velvet. Of all the indignities van Gogh suffered during his lifetime, few could surpass this effort to apotheosize his art by transforming it into kitsch. Screens at the Copley Place Sunday, September 19 at 7:15 and 10 p.m. Director Paul Davids will be present at Sunday's 7:15 showing.

-- Peter Keough

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Film Festival Feature Films

| Keepers of the Frame | The Runner | The Carriers Are Waiting | Tumbleweeds | Deterrance | The War Zone | Happy, Texas | Joe the King | The Legend of 1900 | Best Laid Plans | Original Diner Guys | The Glass Jar | Rose's | Wirey Spindell | Starry Night | Bellyfruit |

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More Boston Film Festival information, film descriptions, and show times

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