Having become a full-fledged star over the past few years, thanks to high-profile roles in movies such as “The Imitation Game” and “Star Trek Into Darkness,” and TV shows like "Sherlock," it wasn’t that long ago when Benedict Cumberbatch was just a hard-working actor trying to make his mark in the business. In 2010, he appeared in the docudrama “Van Gogh: Painted with Words,” which premiered on television in the UK at the time, and as you might suspect, it features Cumberbatch in the title role. Written and directed by Andrew Hutton, ‘Painted with Words’ is an interesting blend of storytelling formats and, in the end, reminds us why Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the most sought-after actors working today. And as luck would have it, the entire movie can currently be streamed on vimeo, free of charge, courtesy of the filmmaker.
Andrew Hutton tells the life story of Vincent Van Gogh by utilizing a mix of interviews with real people, voice-over and onscreen narration, still photos, and dramatic scenes featuring Cumberbatch as Van Gogh. By combining these different elements, we get a pretty vivid picture of this fascinating figure. It’s a portrait of an artist that’s nearly as complex and colorful as the paintings Van Gogh himself created. Clocking in at just over 80 minutes, if you’re a fan of Cumberbatch and/or you’re interested in learning about the Post-Impressionist painter, then “Painted with Words” is most certainly worth a look.