With the exception of the wonderful multi-Doctor 50th Anniversary Special 'The Day of the Doctor', I would say this episode is the peak of the Matt Smith era. It is written by Richard Curtis, famous for writing Blackadder, Four Weddings and a Funeral etc. And he does a fabulous job. It is deep, at times utterly, beautifully moving and at other times really fun and interesting so you could not ask for much more.
The story is that Amy and the Doctor visit the Musee d'Orsay in Paris where the Doctor sees a 'scary face' in one of famous artist Vincent Van Gogh's paintings and decides to travel back to the time Van Gogh was about to paint the picture to investigate. They find Van Gogh in 1890 and befriend him whilst encountering the creature the Doctor was looking for. The creature is invisible but Van Gogh can see it as he sees differently to others.
The creature itself is the weak point of the story as it is not very convincingly realised with slightly below par effects. That is not the kind of thing I judge too harshly though, otherwise many great Doctor Who stories of the past would be marked down for the limited effects of the time. I do think the creature could have been done better but the quality of other aspects of this story make up for it and effects are never something I count as hugely important in Doctor Who. The creature's death is sad and unfortunate but is symbolic in the story's themes of the suffering of those who are scared and misunderstood.
There is humour, fun and joy in many scenes in the Doctor and Amy's interactions with Vincent who is magnificently portrayed by Tony Curran who depicts his brilliance and his struggles with mental illness as well as anyone could possibly hope. The fabulous Bill Nighy also puts in a terrific appearance as museum art expert Dr. Black. It is a hugely enjoyable set of performances which entertain and educate. Truly wonderful.
It brings the best out of Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.
The incredible scenes when they show Vincent the impact his work and his talent have over a hundred years later are extremely emotional and delightful making you wish the Doctor really had been around in real life to allow Van Gogh such an insight which he would surely have deserved.
The highlighting of mental illness so sensitively means a lot to me and is a massive plus.
People who enjoyed it should look up the song 'Vincent' by Don McLean.
An absolute cracker.
My Rating: 10/10.
The story is that Amy and the Doctor visit the Musee d'Orsay in Paris where the Doctor sees a 'scary face' in one of famous artist Vincent Van Gogh's paintings and decides to travel back to the time Van Gogh was about to paint the picture to investigate. They find Van Gogh in 1890 and befriend him whilst encountering the creature the Doctor was looking for. The creature is invisible but Van Gogh can see it as he sees differently to others.
The creature itself is the weak point of the story as it is not very convincingly realised with slightly below par effects. That is not the kind of thing I judge too harshly though, otherwise many great Doctor Who stories of the past would be marked down for the limited effects of the time. I do think the creature could have been done better but the quality of other aspects of this story make up for it and effects are never something I count as hugely important in Doctor Who. The creature's death is sad and unfortunate but is symbolic in the story's themes of the suffering of those who are scared and misunderstood.
There is humour, fun and joy in many scenes in the Doctor and Amy's interactions with Vincent who is magnificently portrayed by Tony Curran who depicts his brilliance and his struggles with mental illness as well as anyone could possibly hope. The fabulous Bill Nighy also puts in a terrific appearance as museum art expert Dr. Black. It is a hugely enjoyable set of performances which entertain and educate. Truly wonderful.
It brings the best out of Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.
The incredible scenes when they show Vincent the impact his work and his talent have over a hundred years later are extremely emotional and delightful making you wish the Doctor really had been around in real life to allow Van Gogh such an insight which he would surely have deserved.
The highlighting of mental illness so sensitively means a lot to me and is a massive plus.
People who enjoyed it should look up the song 'Vincent' by Don McLean.
An absolute cracker.
My Rating: 10/10.