Love Van Gogh again at the Lantern Friday

Among Friday's mainstream openings, the Magic Lantern — as always — will offer its own menu of independent films. In addition to a second-run pickup of "The Battle of the Sexes," the Lantern will open:

"Loving Vincent": The story: A young man tries to help Vincent Van Gogh in his final days. The style: It's animated in a manner that apes Van Gogh's own paintings.

Here are some critical comments:

Matthew Lickona, San Diego Reader: "There's lots of love (and loveliness) on display here: the color paintings are rendered after the manner of the modern master, and there's a stubborn refusal to either glamorize a suffering soul or demonize those who may have helped to seal his fate."

Anna Smith, Time Out: "Part mystery, part visual experiment, 'Loving Vincent' is a reverent ode to the 19th century painter Vincent van Gogh."

Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: "Animating Van Gogh's bold impasto, already kinetic on the canvas, could have been merely superfluous. As moving pictures, though, the brushstrokes have an unexpected pull in this uneven but deeply felt homage."