Somewhat infuriating ode to (as opposed to exploration of) the relationship between artistic genius and insanity. Katie Holmes is Carla; she writes poems about the sun. Luke Kirby is Marco; he writes poems about the moon. They're...troubled. They both have loving parents who want to help them, but what does that even mean, you know? What if you don’t want to be normal? What if you want to be a magnificent ball of luminous energy, streaking through the sky? Like, say, visionary artist Vincent Van Gogh? Writer-director Paul Dalio wants us to see the pair as star-crossed lovers, fighting against a world that, at best, doesn’t understand, and at worst, fears and envies their manic gift. So he soft pedals the damage they do and the realities they deny for as long as possible, in order to keep us sympathetic through their meeting, their separation, their reunion, their escape, and their attempt to make a life on their terms. (Nobody bothers to mention how things worked out for Van Gogh.) Even when reality sets in and consequences start piling up, the romantic sheen remains. Still, it’s possible that Dalio recognizes the fantastical element to his tale; why else would he conclude with a packed house for a poetry reading? (2015) — Matthew Lickona
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