The Art of the Steal

Luis Caffesse

Luis Caffesse

Admin
I just finished watching this on Netflix Streaming - all I can say is watch it.
This was one of the more engrossing documentaries I've seen in a while.
Though the vast majority of the piece is taking heads, it manages to weave an incredibly fascinating and complex story in a very engaging way.

I don't want to say too much about the story itself, considering there is no thread on it here (and it was released in 2009) I assume most people haven't seen it.

The summary is this:
Dr. Albert C Barnes managed to build the world's foremost collection of modern and post impressionist art throughout his lifetime - after his death there was no lack of people who wanted to gain control over the collection. The doc begins with a history on the collection and the man - and then traces the events that occurred, step by step, after his death.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1326733/
 
It may not be for everyone - but it was fascinating for me.
Also, while I know a lot of people are turned off by talking heads, I always like seeing people weave a great story using nothing but interviews.
To be fair - the doc did a good job of using other media (news, newspaper clippings, etc) - but the vast majority is just simple interview setups and broll.

Good docs always remind me that there are so many fascinating stories every day that are really happening - it sometimes makes fiction seem like a waste of time.
 
Good docs always remind me that there are so many fascinating stories every day that are really happening - it sometimes makes fiction seem like a waste of time.
Click to expand...

+1
Excellent documentary, getting a glimpse of the collection is a bonus too...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top