LOVE, ANTOSHA: Incredible Individual, Admirably Captured

I have watched Anton Yelchin for a long time, first seeing him as a child in the Stephen King adaptation Hearts in Atlantis. As he got older, the talented actor was in various films and shows, with a consistent shift in genre.

With big films like the three newer Star Trek’s, Fright Night, and Alpha Dog to lesser known ones such as Like Crazy, Green Room and Only Lovers Left Alive, one thing never changed: he was talented, he was charismatic, and he was always memorable.

Capturing 27 Years

The documentary, Love, Antosha, directed by Garret Price, named for how he signed his letters and notes to his mother in their native Russian, is one of the best documentaries of its kind that I’ve seen this year.

Despite knowing a lot of his filmography, I was surprised so many times by the wonderful insights invoked in this feature. There are so many little details to our lives, some that most will never know, and this celebrates a life lived and a life lost. It catalogs the fiercely passionate film fan, musician, photographer, actor and the caring son.

Throughout the film we see scripts and journals, notes that he made about characters or analysis on movies he watched. Taxi Driver was his favorite, and he pulled a lot of inspiration from the film, with a keen curiosity for how movies are made. This would have eventually translated to him directing (something he was about to start when he died) and I have no doubt he would have been terrific at it.

It seems, in Anton Yelchin’s life, there was very little he wasn’t stellar in.

His struggle with Cystic Fibrosis was a facet of his story that especially surprised me. This is a life-threatening disease, one that often cuts lives short, and yet you wouldn’t know it from his vivacity. His unacceptance to giving into the disease is inspiring, and uplifting. There’s also an invaluable concentration with his family, and his close relationship with his mother. It is clear how deeply they loved one another as we see his start – in cute home movies to dances with his mother, and letters from the road – there’s a big, warm, open heart, that has an emotional inference that never quits.

The Difficulty In Documenting One’s Life

It’s never an easy task deciding what to include, but Garret Price does an excellent job with the choices made in showing us the 27 years of Anton’s life. Some even seemingly strange decisions are somehow perfect. For example, the first time Nicolas Cage reads Anton’s journals and emails in voice over, I was taken aback. However, it really adds another layer to the film and the delivery gives us humor and sorrow.

Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pine and Martin Landeau are just a few among those interviewed throughout, including friends and family. Everyone who is featured all seem to love him and speak of their experiences with Anton is a manner that feels sincere. He had an effect on a lot of people, and their emotional stories carry a weight that’s truly felt.

Garret Price chooses a composite of interviews and clips with Anton, home videos – songs, performances and photos. He works his way through his life, from his figure skating parents making the move to the US through his various career choices, his diagnosis, and his interests.

It appreciates his various sides, in a way that celebrates the “weirder” elements of his personality, embracing the man – whole. His love for cinema is contagious, and as a fan of his and of movies in general, there’s a sense of camaraderie, a kindred spirit. There’s a creative presence that is hard to deny. With such a delicate combination of various elements of his life, this is one not to miss. It’ll stick with me for a long time.

Even without the grace and skill that Price used in handling this information, it’s inviting because Anton is a genuinely interesting person. You can see he’s unique, spirited, and eternally curious. He had an intellectual spontaneity and a real love for his craft and for others. He was a true artist.

The freak accident that took his life in 2016, ripped him from a promising career, a loving family, and admiring fan base. As it’s stated in the film: his death is “Cataclysmically unfair.”

Conclusion: Love, Antosha

Anton was interested in human stories, and his is an incredibly tragic, but a beautiful one. Love, Antosha is utterly heartbreaking, but competent in showing this very intelligent and talented man whose life was cut short. There’s so much more to him, but the film really does deliver a wonderful and rich compilation of a beloved star.

What did you think? What was your favorite film of Anton’s? Let us know in the comments below!

Love, Antosha will be released in theaters in the US on August 2, 2019.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=hzrFqZcosI0