Sept. 24: My OMNIMAX field trip

By Ali Siegel
Metromix

Last week, I had the pleasure of taking in the newest film to hit the OMNIMAX, 'Van Gogh: Brush With Genius' (not to mention some tasty cocktails and gooey butter cake!). Admittedly, I hadn't been to the OMNIMAX in years (seriously, I think that the last time involved a school bus and a permission slip), and an invite to the opening of this film sounded like a great opportunity to revisit the theater.

Even when I do visit the Saint Louis Science Center (either for an event or a lazy Saturday afternoon), the OMNIMAX isn't usually one of my stops. Though the visuals in the films are magnificent, there isn't an ounce of nature girl in me (in case you hadn't guessed that already), and I have a hard time throwing down $8/person for 45 minutes of outdoor scenery (I don't care how beautiful/breathtaking/majestic it is!) when I could spend the same amount to get 2+ hours of chick-flick goodness at my nearest multi-plex.

However, the Van Gogh film caught my eye for two reasons:

1. I thought that the all-encompassing OMNIMAX would be a great way to experience artwork.
2. While I don't fancy myself as any sort of art critic, I love art history and think that Van Gogh's paintings are beautiful.

So, with that, I spent 45 minutes of my Thursday night enveloped in Van Gogh's world. Told from his perspective, the film examines Van Gogh's life and artwork through his letters and the landscapes that inspired him. Before the film, I knew little more about the artist than the ear cutting incident and some of his more prolific pieces. The film really delved into Van Gogh as an artist and a person and made the ear cutting/insane asylum/suicide a really insignificant piece of his overall story.

My recommendation? Go see it (look... now I'm an art critic and a film critic). Again, like most other OMNIMAX films, 'Van Gogh: Brush With Genius' has some beautiful landscapes and striking visuals. And if you're not a nature enthusiast, this is a great alternative to the usual OMNIMAX fare.

Have you seen the film? What did you think? Leave a comment below!