Love, Antosha — Review
This review was originally published on Cinemusings on August 10, 2019.
Source: Lurker Productions
On June 19, 2016, multi-talented actor Anton Yelchin died from blunt traumatic asphyxia after his Jeep rolled down his driveway and pinned him against the gate of his home in Studio City, California. He was only 27 years old. He was known for his role as Pavel Chekov in the recent Star Trek films and starred in movies like Alpha Dog (2006), Charlie Bartlett (2007), and Like Crazy (2011). He was a gifted young artist whose blossoming career was cut short because of such a devastating freak accident.
Garret Price’s documentary Love, Antosha is a heartfelt and poignant portrait of the late actor’s life. Just because a documentary captures a heart-rending story, that alone isn’t enough to make it a good movie. But Price tackles a delicate subject matter with such tact and tenderness that his film beautifully embodies Anton’s spirit. Love, Antosha does right by Anton and his loved ones. It lovingly immortalizes an artist who should never be forgotten.
Source: Lurker Productions
Price’s stylistic choices ensure that Anton’s personality emanates from every frame. The home movie footage from Anton’s childhood evokes a sense of nostalgia and brilliantly captures Anton’s infectious energy. Nicolas Cage serves as the film’s narrator and reads Anton’s various writings. His narration is calm and unaffecting, allowing Anton’s words to speak for themselves. The visuals of Anton’s drawings, journal entries, and notes to his mother work together to establish a profoundly intimate view of his psyche. The music adds to the emotional weight of the film without being manipulative. All of these elements come together to form one of the most moving motion pictures of the year.
Source: Lurker Productions
The interviews with Anton’s friends and family paint an accurate picture of who he was as a person. The main focus of the film isn’t the events surrounding his tragic passing, but the incredible life he lived. Watching the interviewees reminisce about their time with Anton makes it clear that he had a massive impact on the lives of those around him. His relationship with his mother is tremendously heartwarming and reveals that Anton was so full of love and gratitude.
Anton wasn’t interested in becoming a star. He possessed a sincere love of cinema, and that undoubtedly shines through in Price’s documentary. Love, Antosha proves that Anton was so much more than a skilled actor. He was also a writer, photographer, director, musician, etc. Viewers can feel the creativity that was pulsing through his veins. It’s utterly heartbreaking to think of all the art he would have created if he was still here.
Seeing how thoroughly Anton took notes about each of the characters he played is inspiring. He genuinely wanted to understand what made those characters tick so he could truly bring them to life. Even if a movie was mediocre, Anton still put an unbelievable amount of thought and consideration into every performance. In Love, Antosha, Jennifer Lawrence divulges how Anton helped influence her to be a better actress. Director J. J. Abrams even describes Anton as “the person who was quietly, without realizing it, challenging us to be as good as he was.” Both aspiring and seasoned actors can learn a lot from watching Love, Antosha and seeing just how devoted Anton was to his craft.
The film also reflects on Anton’s battle with cystic fibrosis, which he kept hidden. His medical condition was only revealed to the public after his passing. Because of his struggle with CF, Anton worked hard to live life to the fullest. He was passionate about his work and tried to accomplish as much as possible. As his Alpha Dog co-star, Ben Foster expresses, “He was always going further than the rest of us. What he was looking at, what he was interested in, what his next project was. He had this immigrant mentality, to the point that I think he needed to work rather than sit still in the confidence of his talent.” Despite everything Anton dealt with, he maintained a strong sense of drive and optimism.
Love, Antosha is a masterclass in documentary filmmaking. There are countless documentaries with a similar structure, but they aren’t always this effective. Garrett Price pieces the film together in such a way that viewers will almost feel as if they knew Anton personally. The film is honest but portrays its subject with immense sensitivity.
Price doesn’t use Anton’s death to elicit an emotional response from the audience. The accident isn’t even discussed for the majority of the film’s runtime. Instead, Price celebrates Anton’s life as well as his achievements. His passion, determination, and humility can be easily felt throughout the film. Audiences will recognize that Anton had a childlike sense of wonder but was also wise beyond his years. They’ll understand that his artistic endeavors were only just getting started. Anton’s death was horrific and devastating, but what makes Love, Antosha a tearjerker is seeing just how wonderful he was and then coming to terms with the fact that his life ended far too soon.
Love, Antosha is one of the most heart-shattering documentaries ever made. But it’s also thought-provoking and inspiring. The world needs more people as kindhearted, authentic, and thoughtful as Anton. He had such a zest for acting and life itself that it’s difficult to watch this without feeling an innate yearning to be a better person. This film should be deemed essential viewing for all aspiring artists. Hopefully, it will encourage audiences to follow their passions and never shy away from putting their art out there because life is fragile and short. Love, Antosha is a film that Anton Yelchin himself would be proud of.
Love, Antosha received a limited release on August 2, 2019.
