Anton Yelchin was only blossoming as a young actor when he tragically died of a freak accident back in June of 2016. As a performer, it’s so easy talking about his talents, because he was unequivocally brilliant and intensely into his art. It has to be said, but his career was mostly filled with supporting turns, and some lead roles, but he always found a way to steal the show. The last time we saw Yelchin on-screen, he stole scenes from the highly talented Anya Taylor-Jones and Olivia Cooke in “Thoroughbreds,” a pitch-black crime drama in which his drug-dealing smack-talker turned out to be the moral compass of the film. That was the beauty of Anton, he always loved to choose bizarre characters and fully flesh them out to make them feel humane. Watching “Love, Anotsha,” the upcoming Sundance-premiered doc about Yelchin’s life, you start to realize how he was a universally loved individual. He was intensely into creating, any kind of art, not just movies, but it’s that passion that made him sneak into our heads. Of all his performances, “Alpha Dog” will stand the test of time the most, he breaks your heart in that movie, which has been gaining a considering cult following ever since its 2006 release.
“Love, Antosha” is about the life of Yelchin. In it, more than 60 people are interviewed including friends, family members and collaborators remember him (including a very emotional Jennifer Lawrence, JJ Abrams, Chris Pine, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe), but it is also revealed that the young actor suffered from cystic fibrosis since his teen years.
“There’s a whole audience that needs to learn more about Anton,” editor and first-time director Garret Price told Entertainment Weekly today. “I met with Viktor and Irina (Anton’s parents), and they started telling me stories about Anton, and I was hooked from day one. I knew the story needed to be told.”
Like Crazy director, Drake Doremus: “He was one of my favorite people I ever met in my life,” adding, “I loved him so much, and we had such a special, life-changing experience together, so obviously I really wanted to be a part of the film and really wanted to help bring this movie to life.”