Three films down and already the second documentary of the fest (with another one coming up on Day Three). It seems that 2020 could be the Year Of The Documentary.
The Painter And The Thief
Dir. Benjamin Ree / Dur. 107 mins
Strand:- Create
In A Nutshell:- The story of the unlikely friendship that develops between an artist and the man who steals her painting.
The Good:- It’s an intriguing concept to start with:- an artist has two works stolen from an art gallery and, at the trial for one of thieves, asks him why he did it; his answer, “Because it was beautiful” prompts her to ask if she can paint his portrait and a surprising friendship develops. It’s well paced and structured - narratively, it starts following events from the painter Barbora’s point of view before doubling back and following things from the art thief Bertil’s point of view. It’s a fascinating character study and delves into what it is that brings these two seemingly disparate people together into a friendship that surprises both of them with its intensity. There’s an eloquence to Bertil and a destructiveness within Barbora that bridges the gap between their different lives. There are also some moments of fairly intense emotion, particularly in Bertil’s reaction when Barbora reveals her first completed portrait to him.
The Bad:- It’s a very minor criticism but, while satisfying, the ending feels oddly convenient and smacks a little of maybe some intervention on the part of the filmmakers (certainly in regards to people revealing information to each other) in order to give them the ending it needs. This is a really minor point though and in no way detracted from my overall enjoyment of the film.
The Verdict:- I know that I’m only three films in but this one will definitely be on my “Highlights Of The Fest” list at the end. I was utterly riveted and really moved by this story of two people finding a deep connection in the most unlikely of circumstances. Highly and thoroughly recommended. (I’ve got a few more documentaries on the list so maybe 2020 is going to be The Year Of The Documentary…)
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