LOVE, ANTOSHA


US, 2019, 92 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Garrett Price.

This is a cinema portrait of the actor, Anton Yelchin, who sadly died in an accident at the age of 27. He suffered from cystic fibrosis which may have contributed to his death when he was pinned by his car against a wall. However, this film is a great celebration of his life and career.

The film is indebted to his parents, Victor and Irina, Russian ice skaters who left Russia at the end of 1989, a time of turmoil, a period of anti-Semitic action. They arrived in the United States with their baby son, settling in California. They have been very generous in supplying so much home video footage of their son, his growing up over the years, his exuberant personality and a great deal of performance. He was very bonded to his parents, as is also made clear in the footage. It is a tribute to his parents that they participate with so many interviews, saddened by his death but still able to give such strong and direct information about their son.

It is interesting to see Anton Yelchin as a little boy and his capabilities for performance, all kinds of performances – and testimonies from the friends from school.

While the film gives the timeline of his short life, it is also a reminder of the migrants who fled Europe, even at the end of the 20th century and found home and success in the United States.

The film offers psychological interpretation of the young boy and the young man, intellectual, a solid reader, critic, notetaker, experimenter, speaking both English and Russian, translating a book from Russian into English, taking up the guitar and leading a band, a photographer with a wide range of subjects and interests.

The film shows a great number of clips from his auditions, television programs, and a wide range of his films, indicating his seriousness, preparation for roles, the variety of roles and his interpretations, notes on screenplays, presence on the set, observing, having made short films as a boy and preparing a feature film the time of his death.

It is also a tribute to him that the number of talking heads commenting on their experiences with him, their working with him, is much more extensive than the average film, actors, especially from Star Trek) offering their experiences and insights, quite a number of directors, as well as experts on his health.

The film uses the device of showing the notes on the screenplays, of writing on screen various letters and cards, comments – and, unexpectedly, he is voiced by Nicolas Cage who renders them with great feeling.

The story of someone who might have been a great screen presence but whose life was tragically cut short.