The negative criticisms are understandable, if you are only looking for a drama that spoon feeds you an explanation each step of the way. There are only 4 characters and each is developed brilliantly. The best part is the development of what each character represents with their virtues and vices. Greed is demonstrated as a vice that comes in many forms, whether emotional, physical, mentally or monetarily, and it is clearly pervasive in three of the main characters. Like art, the characters are individually perceived differently by the viewer, as well as by each other. Like art, the movie "moves" the viewers to make a emotional connection to the characters and their motives. And finally, like art, every critic can be equally full of %^#.
71 Reviews
'Simple Minds'
Blumanowar29 August 2020
Very good arty thriller... you have to stay with it till the end. Some reviewers on here are just the kinds of quasi critics who think their intelligence is beyond this film. But it's actually just the opposite. And it's those who are lost and simply can't see the movie for what it is.. great fun and thrilling for those who of course watch the entire film ...and understand it's Hitchcock-ian vibes. It's not for everyone. 'Sanctify yourselves'
"My job is to separate the good lies from the bad ones."
classicsoncall20 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This is the story of a con-man who goes way over the line to insure his legacy as a great art critic. I realized that James Figueras' (Claes Bang) scheme would go up in flames (not meant to be a pun), as soon as Berenice Hollis (Elizabeth Debicki) showed him her burnt orange fingertip. With her print now in the phony Jerome Debney (Donald Sutherland) painting, the ruse would eventually unravel, and it was uncanny how many patrons at Joseph Cassidy's (Mick Jagger) gallery exhibition would chime in with oblique references to his murder of Berenice and the provenance of the painting. How could they know? Because what could have been devised as a challenging caper flick fell apart under the extremely misguided plan set in motion when Figueras decided to steal a blank canvas and torch the Debney cottage. Even the unfortunate Debney had the foresight to have an envelope full of dead flies delivered to the murderer before he died. What I can't figure out is why Berenice didn't make a hasty beeline away from Figueras after the first time he tried to kill her; she insured her demise by taunting him as he was trying to decide what his next move would be. Foolish girl. Figueras had to know the jig was up when Cassidy, at the gallery showing, mentioned that the missing young woman would probably float into view some day. What Figueras couldn't know was that the only piece of Debney art in the entire world was now sitting in Berenice's home back in Minnesota, perhaps never to be admired or celebrated as a one of a kind. The ambiguous ending of the picture leaves it up to the viewer to decide how exactly justice would seek out the malevolent James Figueras, but one thing is certain, his face would never appear on the cover of a Rolling Stone.
A film for the viewers
andrewrye-0653517 January 2021
This was an intelligent little number that challenged the viewer to decipher it's intricacies and work out the relationship of the characters.
I thought it did a good job of revealing the characters slowly over the first half and slowly their cracks started to show. Greed, perception and the lengths one will go to achieve his desire and the other will go to provide it.
As someone commented it won't suit all viewers because there is no spoon feeding or a tidy ending. The viewer must determine the motivation of each character. The addition of Mick Jagger (or should I say Sir Michael) was an interesting choice. At first I thought his lines were delivered in stilted uneven manner. But the way he fit his character like a well worn high street suit I thought this is his world. The world of high end art, servants and connections we can only dream of is where he is most comfortable. And it showed. His larger than life facial features and consistent delivery was disarming at times. I wish he'd made more movies. The main characters were a joy to watch and Donald Sutherland is a most underrated actor. What a terrific ensemble.
The ending felt a bit rushed and wasn't revealed as artfully as the start of the movie but enjoyable none the less. A second watch is guaranteed.
A 7 because it's a wonderful movie to trip over in a sea of banality that is coming out of Hollywood at the moment. More please.
I thought it did a good job of revealing the characters slowly over the first half and slowly their cracks started to show. Greed, perception and the lengths one will go to achieve his desire and the other will go to provide it.
As someone commented it won't suit all viewers because there is no spoon feeding or a tidy ending. The viewer must determine the motivation of each character. The addition of Mick Jagger (or should I say Sir Michael) was an interesting choice. At first I thought his lines were delivered in stilted uneven manner. But the way he fit his character like a well worn high street suit I thought this is his world. The world of high end art, servants and connections we can only dream of is where he is most comfortable. And it showed. His larger than life facial features and consistent delivery was disarming at times. I wish he'd made more movies. The main characters were a joy to watch and Donald Sutherland is a most underrated actor. What a terrific ensemble.
The ending felt a bit rushed and wasn't revealed as artfully as the start of the movie but enjoyable none the less. A second watch is guaranteed.
A 7 because it's a wonderful movie to trip over in a sea of banality that is coming out of Hollywood at the moment. More please.
Such a treat to see these actors chew up the scenery!
RMurray84715 March 2022
When I first heard of THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY, fairly early in 2020, I was eager to see almost anything "new" that might be coming out, because of the pandemic shut-down. It didn't become available for purchase until late in the year, if memory serves, but I bought it. And then, it sat on my shelf until early 2022. By the time I got it, there was more new content available. Shinier, flashier "new' movies to watch. But I finally got around to it the other day, and I'm sure glad I did.
Claes Bang is James, an lecturer on art criticism in Milan who we soon see is filled with self-loathing at not being a great artist, or at least the curator of a major museum and an important person in the art world. It seems he was headed in that direction, but his own shady ethics tripped him up. Early in the film, he meets the intriguing Berenice (Elizabeth Debicki) an American on some kind of extended holiday from her small Minnesota town. The two strike up a fling and James invites Berenice to join him on his upcoming visit to the Lake Como home of the filthy rich and very renowned art collector Joseph Cassidy (Mick Jagger). James hopes he might be landing a gig writing about Cassidy's collection, but no, he's given the chance to interview Jerome Debney (Donald Sutherland), the most reclusive famous artist in the world, an opportunity to start his downward career back upward again. All he must do is compromise his already pretty malleable ethics.
First off, this is a very talky film. It does deal with a "caper" of sorts, but it's mostly clever, educated people trying to out-clever each other. The dialogue is rich and witty and sounds nothing like how real people would talk. HOWEVER, it's still a blast to revel for 90 brisk minutes in a world full of people who live in a very distinct, hermetic world. And it's a film that's neatly constructed enough that we have no trouble understanding the plot and the stakes. We have no issues quickly understanding that no one in the film is really showing their true selves (or if they are, their true selves are pretty slimy).
The cast is terrific; they're the best reason to see this film. I very much enjoyed the plot and the dialogue and even the scenery. But these are not characters we'll warm up to immediately, if at all. It takes some great performances to draw the viewer in. Bang (who was terrific in THE SQUARE, another movie in which he plays a person in the highest echelons of art) is great. He's charming and witty, but you can always smell the desperation on him. Debicki is the closest we have to a "heart" in this film, and she may be the character we root for. But there is plenty of mystery about her too, and she is a striking figure. Sutherland is delightful as the reclusive artist, full of a great mix of sliminess and charm. He always seem one step ahead of everyone. Everyone, that is, except Jagger's billionaire. Jagger's character is clearly a "bad guy", but he brings such sting to every insult he casually let's drop from his lips. It may not be the technically greatest performance you'll ever see, but Jagger is clearly so deeply delighted with playing this character, you cannot help but love every minute of his fairly brief appearance.
As the machinations of plot get ever more complex, and the ethical (and criminal) choices made play out, the pace of the film matches. Director Giuseppe Capotondi apparently understands that this thing is so talky that it needs to move fast. He lets us enjoy the actors, but things keep moving. It's too outrageous to allow us much time to think about it. This is a caper/heist film in which the heist is NOT the payoff. It's the build up to it, and the rather unexpected aftermath that are key. I can easily envision a director taking a leisurely approach to this: let's spend lots of time looking at these lovely people and lovely scenery. But Capotondi doesn't waste a minute. And in the end, when the final moments play out, I had a big smile on my face. It all played out just like the tone and characters suggested it might all along.
It's a cerebral thriller, with juicy dialogue and acting. I'm very glad I finally got around to watching it!
Claes Bang is James, an lecturer on art criticism in Milan who we soon see is filled with self-loathing at not being a great artist, or at least the curator of a major museum and an important person in the art world. It seems he was headed in that direction, but his own shady ethics tripped him up. Early in the film, he meets the intriguing Berenice (Elizabeth Debicki) an American on some kind of extended holiday from her small Minnesota town. The two strike up a fling and James invites Berenice to join him on his upcoming visit to the Lake Como home of the filthy rich and very renowned art collector Joseph Cassidy (Mick Jagger). James hopes he might be landing a gig writing about Cassidy's collection, but no, he's given the chance to interview Jerome Debney (Donald Sutherland), the most reclusive famous artist in the world, an opportunity to start his downward career back upward again. All he must do is compromise his already pretty malleable ethics.
First off, this is a very talky film. It does deal with a "caper" of sorts, but it's mostly clever, educated people trying to out-clever each other. The dialogue is rich and witty and sounds nothing like how real people would talk. HOWEVER, it's still a blast to revel for 90 brisk minutes in a world full of people who live in a very distinct, hermetic world. And it's a film that's neatly constructed enough that we have no trouble understanding the plot and the stakes. We have no issues quickly understanding that no one in the film is really showing their true selves (or if they are, their true selves are pretty slimy).
The cast is terrific; they're the best reason to see this film. I very much enjoyed the plot and the dialogue and even the scenery. But these are not characters we'll warm up to immediately, if at all. It takes some great performances to draw the viewer in. Bang (who was terrific in THE SQUARE, another movie in which he plays a person in the highest echelons of art) is great. He's charming and witty, but you can always smell the desperation on him. Debicki is the closest we have to a "heart" in this film, and she may be the character we root for. But there is plenty of mystery about her too, and she is a striking figure. Sutherland is delightful as the reclusive artist, full of a great mix of sliminess and charm. He always seem one step ahead of everyone. Everyone, that is, except Jagger's billionaire. Jagger's character is clearly a "bad guy", but he brings such sting to every insult he casually let's drop from his lips. It may not be the technically greatest performance you'll ever see, but Jagger is clearly so deeply delighted with playing this character, you cannot help but love every minute of his fairly brief appearance.
As the machinations of plot get ever more complex, and the ethical (and criminal) choices made play out, the pace of the film matches. Director Giuseppe Capotondi apparently understands that this thing is so talky that it needs to move fast. He lets us enjoy the actors, but things keep moving. It's too outrageous to allow us much time to think about it. This is a caper/heist film in which the heist is NOT the payoff. It's the build up to it, and the rather unexpected aftermath that are key. I can easily envision a director taking a leisurely approach to this: let's spend lots of time looking at these lovely people and lovely scenery. But Capotondi doesn't waste a minute. And in the end, when the final moments play out, I had a big smile on my face. It all played out just like the tone and characters suggested it might all along.
It's a cerebral thriller, with juicy dialogue and acting. I'm very glad I finally got around to watching it!
A classy art heist thriller that spins out of control
barevfilm24 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The Burnt Orange Heresy
Viewed at Venice 2019.
TBOH is an Art heist thriller Directed by Italian Giuseppe Capotondi, based on a 1971 neo-noir novel by American writer Charles Willeford (died 1988) starring Danish actor Claes Bang and Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki, and featuring British Rock legend Mick Jagger (76) plus Canadian veteran character actor Donald Sutherland (84). A truly international combination of talent if nothing else.
Claes Bang (lead role in Ruben Östlund's 2017 festival hit, The Square) plays a charming, fast-talking, backstabbing, womanizing art critic Jacques Figueras, who will do anything, including blackmail, burglary, arson, and when necessary, murder -- to further his career. Debicki (awarded for her role opposite Dicaprio in fellow Aussie, director Baz Luhrman's The Great Gatsby, 2013) is an equally fast talking willowy blonde from a small town near Duluth who happens to be passing through the city of Milan which is the setting for the first half of the film.
At a bravura opening star art critic Figueras manipulates an audience into believing that a junky painting is a masterpiece then convinces them it's nothing but a cheap fake. An attractive blonde in the audience becomes his lover (Debicki) when she sees through his artful sham.
Figueras states that without criticism there can be no art and this first section on the role of criticism and the way it manipulates taste was enough to make my day. It then segues to Lake Como where a very wealthy art collector, Joseph Cassidy, cleverly acted by an aging Mick Jagger, hires Figueras to interview the most famous painter in the world, (Sutherland) a reclusive genius who normally never gives interviews but lives in a neighboring villa on the lake, his real job being to acquire one of the artists paintings for the Cassidy collection. Jagger then leaves for a few days in London leaving the persuasive critic and his willowy new girlfriend to have "the run of his estate" while he's gone.
It turns out that the enigmatic artist has lost all his masterworks in a fire and now passes his days contemplating an empty canvas. And now the story careens out of control.
Without going into the gory details Ferguson burns the villa down but steals an empty canvas upon which he will execute a trashy orange painting but will later pass it off as a masterpiece by the great artist he has meanwhile died. When the smart girlfriend from Duluth calls him out on his phoniness he has to get her out of the way, which he does, then dumps the body in the lake weighted down with a large rock. From charming art critic to psychotic murderer in one easy lesson. Moreover, at the end in a smart art galley vernissage where his "rediscovered masterpiece" by deceased artist Sutherland is on display he is confronted by Collector Jagger who hands him a letter from the missing mistress (Debicki) which contains a bunch of dead flies. One has to sit through the picture from the start to gather the significance of this. Anyway, our anti hero has gotten away with murder as the hairy tail comes to a badconclusion.
This high class artsy-fartsy drama was undoubtedly chosen for the prestige closing film spot at Venice because of the Italian connections, Italian director and Milano setting, as well as for the star billing of rock legend Mick Jagger.
I doubt, however, that it will do much box office business on general release because, for one thing, a title like this can kill a film before it ever gets off the ground ("Burnt Oranges, whutt?) and secondly; it is a bit too sophisticated for most general viewers (who would have to be familiar with such esoterica as the brush strokes of Modigliani, e.g..) and a bit too bitter of a drink for Mick Jagger fans. Jagger, it must be said, does a very convincing job in a role about as far from his rock star persona as one can imagine. This prancing rock band frontman can definitely act when called upon to do so. In sum, I enjoyed the first two thirds of the film, the lively love story, and the canny commentary on art criticism, etcetera -- but was let down by the acrimonious dénouement and came away with a slightly sour aftertaste.
Viewed at Venice 2019.
TBOH is an Art heist thriller Directed by Italian Giuseppe Capotondi, based on a 1971 neo-noir novel by American writer Charles Willeford (died 1988) starring Danish actor Claes Bang and Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki, and featuring British Rock legend Mick Jagger (76) plus Canadian veteran character actor Donald Sutherland (84). A truly international combination of talent if nothing else.
Claes Bang (lead role in Ruben Östlund's 2017 festival hit, The Square) plays a charming, fast-talking, backstabbing, womanizing art critic Jacques Figueras, who will do anything, including blackmail, burglary, arson, and when necessary, murder -- to further his career. Debicki (awarded for her role opposite Dicaprio in fellow Aussie, director Baz Luhrman's The Great Gatsby, 2013) is an equally fast talking willowy blonde from a small town near Duluth who happens to be passing through the city of Milan which is the setting for the first half of the film.
At a bravura opening star art critic Figueras manipulates an audience into believing that a junky painting is a masterpiece then convinces them it's nothing but a cheap fake. An attractive blonde in the audience becomes his lover (Debicki) when she sees through his artful sham.
Figueras states that without criticism there can be no art and this first section on the role of criticism and the way it manipulates taste was enough to make my day. It then segues to Lake Como where a very wealthy art collector, Joseph Cassidy, cleverly acted by an aging Mick Jagger, hires Figueras to interview the most famous painter in the world, (Sutherland) a reclusive genius who normally never gives interviews but lives in a neighboring villa on the lake, his real job being to acquire one of the artists paintings for the Cassidy collection. Jagger then leaves for a few days in London leaving the persuasive critic and his willowy new girlfriend to have "the run of his estate" while he's gone.
It turns out that the enigmatic artist has lost all his masterworks in a fire and now passes his days contemplating an empty canvas. And now the story careens out of control.
Without going into the gory details Ferguson burns the villa down but steals an empty canvas upon which he will execute a trashy orange painting but will later pass it off as a masterpiece by the great artist he has meanwhile died. When the smart girlfriend from Duluth calls him out on his phoniness he has to get her out of the way, which he does, then dumps the body in the lake weighted down with a large rock. From charming art critic to psychotic murderer in one easy lesson. Moreover, at the end in a smart art galley vernissage where his "rediscovered masterpiece" by deceased artist Sutherland is on display he is confronted by Collector Jagger who hands him a letter from the missing mistress (Debicki) which contains a bunch of dead flies. One has to sit through the picture from the start to gather the significance of this. Anyway, our anti hero has gotten away with murder as the hairy tail comes to a badconclusion.
This high class artsy-fartsy drama was undoubtedly chosen for the prestige closing film spot at Venice because of the Italian connections, Italian director and Milano setting, as well as for the star billing of rock legend Mick Jagger.
I doubt, however, that it will do much box office business on general release because, for one thing, a title like this can kill a film before it ever gets off the ground ("Burnt Oranges, whutt?) and secondly; it is a bit too sophisticated for most general viewers (who would have to be familiar with such esoterica as the brush strokes of Modigliani, e.g..) and a bit too bitter of a drink for Mick Jagger fans. Jagger, it must be said, does a very convincing job in a role about as far from his rock star persona as one can imagine. This prancing rock band frontman can definitely act when called upon to do so. In sum, I enjoyed the first two thirds of the film, the lively love story, and the canny commentary on art criticism, etcetera -- but was let down by the acrimonious dénouement and came away with a slightly sour aftertaste.
If you like a bit of a hitchcock style, you might like it.
jamactechnical27 August 2020
I enjoyed this rather strange film. The dialog and some of the characters were a bit odd but that's what made this thing watchable. Good performances from everyone, especially from the main actor who played James. Overall, a decent watchable film with a bit of a Hitchcock style...you might like it. :-)
I enjoyed it
maclock11 August 2020
OTT manipulative film.
Ckn4829 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
OTT manipulative film.
But then it looks like that was what they were going for.
Mick Jaggar makes for a good weirdo, inferring a multitude of sins and never outright accusing.
Donald Sutherland is (as usual) perfectly suited to his character. The beleaguered all suffering artist painter. However it beggars belief, what he has done with his latest paintings. Painters crave attention, recognition & hope to leave something behind, hell we all do, and yet for the purposes of this movie, this strange human being decided they didn't.
He wants to manipulate everyone he meets.
Claes Bang makes no bones about manipulating the unsuspecting but then he is an art critic.
Elizabeth Debicki gets manipulated and manipulates in her own way.
After the Deed is done and Elizabeth and Claes return to Claes flat, the film turns darker.
Yes there are women and some men who can be abused and come back for more but....
Elizabeth is, for all intent and purpose dead. After coming back to life she is found trying to escape on the stair well and for some inexplicable reason, she decides to trust Claes enough to go back into the flat.
This really makes no sense and is dispatched in a very weird way (considering she becomes a two time victim) this second time.
The scripting of this doesn't add up in the same way to the non paintings.
In the final scenes we find out Donald Sutherland had not only pained an actual picture of Elizabeth but had also signed it. He does this and yet all his other paintings are ONLY being painted in his head.
The acting is good Film Photography is good The Script is OK but stretches credence at times It can be a little slow in places, especially if your not a huge fan of the art world.
give it a try 👍
The acting is good Film Photography is good The Script is OK but stretches credence at times It can be a little slow in places, especially if your not a huge fan of the art world.
give it a try 👍
NEO-NOIR ART WORLD SHENANIGANS...GOOD ACTING...STORY...SCENERY...DIALOG
LeonLouisRicci17 August 2021
Take 4 Actors that are Talented, Eye-Pleasing, and Mysterious.
Put Them in Front of Interesting European Scenery.
Reciting Dialog that Intrigues, Stings, and Swells the Plot.
You may Not have a Masterpiece, but a Damn Good Art-World Scam that is Ripe for Soul Snatching and Fallen Angels.
An Art-Critic that "Talks about art better than he makes it".
Echoing the Standard "He who can't do teaches", makes a Living being a Con-Artist Lessoning and Pick-Pocketing Tourist in Italy.
He Dreams of an Opportunity to Really Cash-In.
Enter Wealthy, Aging, but Ageless Mick Jagger as a "Real" Mover and Shaker.
He Takes Advantage of the Porous, Pretentious People in the World of High-Priced Art Work.
A Man who is Not Interested in the Work but What the Work can Put in His Pocket.
The Critic has with Him a Beauty that has Done A Few Things and Seen a Few Things.
They Match Wits and Bodily Fluids.
She is also a Kind-Soul that Instantly Charms World Renowned Artist and Recluse, Donald Sutherland.
The Famous Painter Finds Her Equally Lovely.
They Hit it Off as Our Antagonist Art-Critic Schemes with Jagger to Get the Unwilling Artist to Give it Up for Posterity.
It's a Wordy Thriller Worthy of a Sit-Down and Appreciate and Old Story Painted with a Modern Eye.
Put Them in Front of Interesting European Scenery.
Reciting Dialog that Intrigues, Stings, and Swells the Plot.
You may Not have a Masterpiece, but a Damn Good Art-World Scam that is Ripe for Soul Snatching and Fallen Angels.
An Art-Critic that "Talks about art better than he makes it".
Echoing the Standard "He who can't do teaches", makes a Living being a Con-Artist Lessoning and Pick-Pocketing Tourist in Italy.
He Dreams of an Opportunity to Really Cash-In.
Enter Wealthy, Aging, but Ageless Mick Jagger as a "Real" Mover and Shaker.
He Takes Advantage of the Porous, Pretentious People in the World of High-Priced Art Work.
A Man who is Not Interested in the Work but What the Work can Put in His Pocket.
The Critic has with Him a Beauty that has Done A Few Things and Seen a Few Things.
They Match Wits and Bodily Fluids.
She is also a Kind-Soul that Instantly Charms World Renowned Artist and Recluse, Donald Sutherland.
The Famous Painter Finds Her Equally Lovely.
They Hit it Off as Our Antagonist Art-Critic Schemes with Jagger to Get the Unwilling Artist to Give it Up for Posterity.
It's a Wordy Thriller Worthy of a Sit-Down and Appreciate and Old Story Painted with a Modern Eye.
A lot of chatter about Blue
rcastl233516 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Let me say first that The Burnt Orange Heresy is possibly the worst title for anything--book, film, race horse, I've ever seen. I know it's the title of the book the film is based on and it doesn't matter. It's awful. Second, I've read this film described as being about a "heist." When you think "heist," you think hoodlums, action, movement, guns, chases. You're not going to see that in this movie. What you do have is a great deal of intelligent, if meandering, talk about art and identity. There is a swirl of inexplicable, even nonsensical, violence at the end, but it's unearned and comes out of left field.
The acting is very fine. Elizabeth Debicki does a wonderful job--intelligent, warm, tough-minded when it's called for, mysterious and charming. Debicki's final scene bristles with chilling intensity. Her partner in the film, Claes Bang, is equally intelligent and well-spoken as a pill-addicted art critic. He's also about 15 years too old for the part of a "young boy.". Donald Sutherland is as warm and charming as Debicki, playing as an aging, reclusive painter. The scenes between the 2 of them are some of the best in the movie. MIck Jagger holds his own as a silky, slightly threatening, millionaire art critic.
It would be the farthest stretch to call the movie a heist film. It bears no relation to the genre. Rather it's a talky, languid, well-acted film about secrets and Art.
The Girl From Esko
lavatch14 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"The Burnt Orange Heresy" is an intriguing character-driven film. Despite the small cast and the limited scope, the depth of characterization was compelling, and the film was stylishly conceived around the esoteric world of modern art.
From the outset, it is clear that the art critic James Figueras is a con artist. He takes nearly sadistic delight in giving a talk to tourists in which he first tears down an art work, then builds it up with a contrary interpretation. By the end of the session, the entire group wants to buy a print of a non-existent painting.
At that group session, a young woman named Berenice Hollis is in attendance, and she and James begin an affair. James takes Berenice with him on a visit to a splendid villa in Milan owned by the connoisseur Nils Cassidy, who is played by the puckish looking Mick Jagger. The perceptive Nils senses that he can use James to acquire a priceless painting from the eccentric artist Jerome Debrey. A small but important detail is a phone message to James indicating that a check that he recently wrote has bounced.
Debrey, brilliantly performed by Donald Sutherland, is a recluse with a studio on the grounds of Cassidy's estate. Debrey takes a liking to Berenice, and one of the best scenes in the film is their intimate conversation wherein Debrey waxes philosophical and provides her with a life lesson or two.
But the unscrupulous James Figueras plans to take advantage of Debrey by setting fire to his art studio and pawning off on the public Debrey's final "masterpiece" that was painted in a slapdash way by Figueras himself!
The close of the film was sad due to the fate of poor Berenice. But there is a touching moment when it is revealed that the girl from Esko, Minnesota, received a signed portrait of her that was painted by Debney. In a film that dealt primarily with the pretentious and snobbish nature of modern art, there is a breath of fresh air in a simple portrait of a kind human face that was likely the final composition of a modern master, Jerome Debrey.
From the outset, it is clear that the art critic James Figueras is a con artist. He takes nearly sadistic delight in giving a talk to tourists in which he first tears down an art work, then builds it up with a contrary interpretation. By the end of the session, the entire group wants to buy a print of a non-existent painting.
At that group session, a young woman named Berenice Hollis is in attendance, and she and James begin an affair. James takes Berenice with him on a visit to a splendid villa in Milan owned by the connoisseur Nils Cassidy, who is played by the puckish looking Mick Jagger. The perceptive Nils senses that he can use James to acquire a priceless painting from the eccentric artist Jerome Debrey. A small but important detail is a phone message to James indicating that a check that he recently wrote has bounced.
Debrey, brilliantly performed by Donald Sutherland, is a recluse with a studio on the grounds of Cassidy's estate. Debrey takes a liking to Berenice, and one of the best scenes in the film is their intimate conversation wherein Debrey waxes philosophical and provides her with a life lesson or two.
But the unscrupulous James Figueras plans to take advantage of Debrey by setting fire to his art studio and pawning off on the public Debrey's final "masterpiece" that was painted in a slapdash way by Figueras himself!
The close of the film was sad due to the fate of poor Berenice. But there is a touching moment when it is revealed that the girl from Esko, Minnesota, received a signed portrait of her that was painted by Debney. In a film that dealt primarily with the pretentious and snobbish nature of modern art, there is a breath of fresh air in a simple portrait of a kind human face that was likely the final composition of a modern master, Jerome Debrey.
Takes a long time to build up, but delivers in the last half hour
paul-allaer9 August 2020
"The Burnt Orange Heresy" (2019 release from Italy; 98 min.) brings the story of art critic James Figueras. As the movie opens, James is in Milan, Italy, giving an art critic presentation about some painting. In the audience is Berenice, an American from Duluth. Afterwards, these two hook up. James mentions that he has been invited by art dealer Joseph Cassidy to his summer estate at Lake Como, and would she like to come along? Berenice agrees, and out to Lake Como they drive. It's not long after when Cassidy reveals his reasons for inviting James to his lakeside estate... At this point we are 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience , you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this movie is the latest from Italian director Giuseppe Capotondi. Here he brings the big screen adaptation of the book of the same name by Charles Willeford. I haven't read the book and hence can't comment how closely the film sticks to the book. Also, this movie is super-plot heavy, so I can't say anything more about how it all unfolds. Instead, I will simply say this: the movie's built-up takes a long time (pretty much the first hour), and all is then revealed in the last half hour, so just make sure you wait out the first hour... Tce acting performances are tops: Danish actor Claas Bang (wjo looks just like Pierce Brosnan) as James, Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki as Berenice, Donald Sutherland as he recluse painter Jerome Debney, and last but not least, Mick Jagger as the art dealer Cassidy. Now a crisp 77 years young, this is Jagger's first feature film role out of the Stones since 2001's "The Man from Elysian Fields", if you can believe it. Much of the movie plays out at Lake Como, and the lush photography really helps the film. Kudos also for the nice orchestral score from Scottish composer Craig Armstrong.
"The Orange Burnt Heresy" premiered at last year's Venice film festival to good acclaim, and it was supposed to be released in US theaters in March. Then a little thing called COVID-19 happened. The film finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati and I could wait to see it. (The theater strictly abides by all COVID-19 measures including social distancing and face masks.) The early Sunday evening screening where I saw this at was attended poorly (3 people including myself). If you are interested in an arts-focuses thriller that delivers in the last half hour, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this movie is the latest from Italian director Giuseppe Capotondi. Here he brings the big screen adaptation of the book of the same name by Charles Willeford. I haven't read the book and hence can't comment how closely the film sticks to the book. Also, this movie is super-plot heavy, so I can't say anything more about how it all unfolds. Instead, I will simply say this: the movie's built-up takes a long time (pretty much the first hour), and all is then revealed in the last half hour, so just make sure you wait out the first hour... Tce acting performances are tops: Danish actor Claas Bang (wjo looks just like Pierce Brosnan) as James, Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki as Berenice, Donald Sutherland as he recluse painter Jerome Debney, and last but not least, Mick Jagger as the art dealer Cassidy. Now a crisp 77 years young, this is Jagger's first feature film role out of the Stones since 2001's "The Man from Elysian Fields", if you can believe it. Much of the movie plays out at Lake Como, and the lush photography really helps the film. Kudos also for the nice orchestral score from Scottish composer Craig Armstrong.
"The Orange Burnt Heresy" premiered at last year's Venice film festival to good acclaim, and it was supposed to be released in US theaters in March. Then a little thing called COVID-19 happened. The film finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati and I could wait to see it. (The theater strictly abides by all COVID-19 measures including social distancing and face masks.) The early Sunday evening screening where I saw this at was attended poorly (3 people including myself). If you are interested in an arts-focuses thriller that delivers in the last half hour, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Lead players are eye candy; the film is below average
JuguAbraham20 March 2020
The mark of Cain lies in a fingerprint!
Debicki and Bang are eye candy for the viewer in the early part of the film. Bang reprises his typical role of a great individual coming apart at the end of a film's story (specifically recalling The Square), Somehow despite the fascinating cast, (including Rosalind Halstead's cameo) this film offers little else. Even the "mark of Cain" highlighted at the end is nothing new. So too the dead black insects.
Can any one explain the lack of servants (who were always hovering around the guests) at the Cassidy (Mick Jagger) manor towards the end of the tale?
The film which had great potential flounders towards the end
Debicki and Bang are eye candy for the viewer in the early part of the film. Bang reprises his typical role of a great individual coming apart at the end of a film's story (specifically recalling The Square), Somehow despite the fascinating cast, (including Rosalind Halstead's cameo) this film offers little else. Even the "mark of Cain" highlighted at the end is nothing new. So too the dead black insects.
Can any one explain the lack of servants (who were always hovering around the guests) at the Cassidy (Mick Jagger) manor towards the end of the tale?
The film which had great potential flounders towards the end
A Subtle Thriller - Well Crafted and Delivered
mha-8932730 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
'The Burnt Orange Hersey' is an enigmatic psychological thriller situated in the subtle end of the genre. Operatively, the social, cultural and psychological terrain which constructs the creative fabric of this production is informed by the ultra-privileged few, reflected in the esoteric collection and adoration of high art - paintings in particular. Behaviourally, this pattern of engagement, high art appreciation and collection, reflects personal and public statements of elitism which may or may not have a rational basis in fact.
Possibly, much of the valuation and specificity of art appreciation may be only the production of social construction - someone's opinion. Even so, art does have, on occasion, very real and eye watering, economic symbology. Those who authenticate and value art certainty function to enforce a self-fulfilling prophecy which informs much of the economic value of works of art, and thus, their collectability.
Dramatically, this production features a small cast of well selected players, who manage, as characters, to encourage the belief, they themselves seek or reside within the proximity of privilege and elitist lifestyles as a matter of their own speciality, beauty or erudition. The premise is founded on base human greed, desire and a powerful sense of entitlement. Arguably, and ultimately, this may motivate one character to a complete disregard for human life, humanity and good sense in attempt to fulfil this belief in their entitlement - to riches, fame, elitist recognition, success. Psychologically, this is one commonly framed explanation for criminal white- or blue-collar offending.
Contradictorily, some of this production's characters are benign, not overly soiled by the inherent disparities and inequities which bracket gross displays of privilege and its entitlements - likely out of wilful ignorance. As such, they merely transition through the landscape of privilege as birds through a natural feature. However, powerfully situated in tension with the inherent beauty and ambiance of European villa life is the emergence of intense desire unfulfilled, where envy and jealousy give way to criminal entitlement and brutal, criminal self-justification. Thus, we observe the transition of one key protagonist from critical social mediocrity, as a art critic; one who sabotaged his own career, to something entirely self absorbed, menacing and monstrous.
This is a smoothly crafted and played production. It boasts a strong cast, if salubrious, all of whom deliver believable performances. Visually, this scenario plays out across a social landscape which endorses the normality and speciality of privilege as a natural feature of human existentialism, belaying the inequities and disparities so inherent to their way of life for the majority of the world's population.
Possibly, much of the valuation and specificity of art appreciation may be only the production of social construction - someone's opinion. Even so, art does have, on occasion, very real and eye watering, economic symbology. Those who authenticate and value art certainty function to enforce a self-fulfilling prophecy which informs much of the economic value of works of art, and thus, their collectability.
Dramatically, this production features a small cast of well selected players, who manage, as characters, to encourage the belief, they themselves seek or reside within the proximity of privilege and elitist lifestyles as a matter of their own speciality, beauty or erudition. The premise is founded on base human greed, desire and a powerful sense of entitlement. Arguably, and ultimately, this may motivate one character to a complete disregard for human life, humanity and good sense in attempt to fulfil this belief in their entitlement - to riches, fame, elitist recognition, success. Psychologically, this is one commonly framed explanation for criminal white- or blue-collar offending.
Contradictorily, some of this production's characters are benign, not overly soiled by the inherent disparities and inequities which bracket gross displays of privilege and its entitlements - likely out of wilful ignorance. As such, they merely transition through the landscape of privilege as birds through a natural feature. However, powerfully situated in tension with the inherent beauty and ambiance of European villa life is the emergence of intense desire unfulfilled, where envy and jealousy give way to criminal entitlement and brutal, criminal self-justification. Thus, we observe the transition of one key protagonist from critical social mediocrity, as a art critic; one who sabotaged his own career, to something entirely self absorbed, menacing and monstrous.
This is a smoothly crafted and played production. It boasts a strong cast, if salubrious, all of whom deliver believable performances. Visually, this scenario plays out across a social landscape which endorses the normality and speciality of privilege as a natural feature of human existentialism, belaying the inequities and disparities so inherent to their way of life for the majority of the world's population.
art and crime
dromasca2 December 2020
'The Burnt Orange Heresy' directed by Giuseppe Capotondi is one of those films whose fate on the screens was seriously affected by the pandemic. Presented for the first time at the Film Festival in Venice in 2019, it was to be released in theaters in March 2020. It is now released on screens, more than half a year late, in a world where cinemas are sparse and the audiences in them even sparser. Had it been promoted well, this film would have had the chance of at least an average audience success, maybe more than that. As things stand, this film that combines a romantic story with a thriller that happens in the art world, and that tells some interesting truths about the commercial value of modern art, including the role and influence of art critics that channel the taste of the public but also determone where collectors' money goes is just escapist entertainment at a time when yesterday's 'normal' stories have become the subject of nostalgic fantasies.
The stoary is located in Italy, although the characters being American or British expatriates or travelers the film is spoken entirely in English. James Figueras (Claes Bang) is an art critic and the author of books, the most recent of which demonstrates the role of the critic in appreciating art, but also suggests that the field is open to imposture and scams. At one of the book's launching events, he meets Berenice (Elizabeth Debicki), a young and beautiful American tourist, whose personality and past seem ambiguous. The two quickly land in bed, after which the art critic invites his new girlfriend to spend the weekend with him in the luxurious villa on the shores of Lake Cuomo of an eccentric rich man called Cassidy, also an art collector (Mick Jagger). In a cottage on the edge of the estate, Cassidy houses Jerome Debney (Donald Sutherland), a brilliant painter who disappeared from the public eye for over 50 years, after his entire work had been burned by flames in a fire in Paris. Did he continue to create? A painting of his, if it exists, would be of immense value - material and artistic. I stop here to avoid the spoiler sin. I will only say that there are enough dialogues about art in the film (some reminiscent of Yasmina Reza's play 'Art') but also thriller action material to please fans of those genres.
The execution is more than reasonable, although not completely without problems. Claes Bang and Elizabeth Debicki are very well suited for their roles, the connection between them is credible, they have chemistry and their dialogues in the first part of the film are an excellent introduction to the subject and the atmosphere. Mick Jagger and Donald Sutherland create each excellent roles in their own ways and give me hope for the future, because, at least in movies, it seems that the peak of men's success with beautiful women happens after we turn 75 years old. The cinematography is excellent, Italy with its natural landscapes, luxurious villas and exuberant interior art representing the perfect setting for a film that manages to attract attention as a thriller related to art, with romantic overtones. In fact, about two-thirds of the film have a look & feel of the 60s or 70s. The final part changes the tone a bit, modern violence appears although is not necessary or cinematically effective, and some details are explained too much and too trivially. However, there are plenty of other good reasons to search and watch this movie when it hits screens nearby or when you get a chance to see it streamed.
The stoary is located in Italy, although the characters being American or British expatriates or travelers the film is spoken entirely in English. James Figueras (Claes Bang) is an art critic and the author of books, the most recent of which demonstrates the role of the critic in appreciating art, but also suggests that the field is open to imposture and scams. At one of the book's launching events, he meets Berenice (Elizabeth Debicki), a young and beautiful American tourist, whose personality and past seem ambiguous. The two quickly land in bed, after which the art critic invites his new girlfriend to spend the weekend with him in the luxurious villa on the shores of Lake Cuomo of an eccentric rich man called Cassidy, also an art collector (Mick Jagger). In a cottage on the edge of the estate, Cassidy houses Jerome Debney (Donald Sutherland), a brilliant painter who disappeared from the public eye for over 50 years, after his entire work had been burned by flames in a fire in Paris. Did he continue to create? A painting of his, if it exists, would be of immense value - material and artistic. I stop here to avoid the spoiler sin. I will only say that there are enough dialogues about art in the film (some reminiscent of Yasmina Reza's play 'Art') but also thriller action material to please fans of those genres.
The execution is more than reasonable, although not completely without problems. Claes Bang and Elizabeth Debicki are very well suited for their roles, the connection between them is credible, they have chemistry and their dialogues in the first part of the film are an excellent introduction to the subject and the atmosphere. Mick Jagger and Donald Sutherland create each excellent roles in their own ways and give me hope for the future, because, at least in movies, it seems that the peak of men's success with beautiful women happens after we turn 75 years old. The cinematography is excellent, Italy with its natural landscapes, luxurious villas and exuberant interior art representing the perfect setting for a film that manages to attract attention as a thriller related to art, with romantic overtones. In fact, about two-thirds of the film have a look & feel of the 60s or 70s. The final part changes the tone a bit, modern violence appears although is not necessary or cinematically effective, and some details are explained too much and too trivially. However, there are plenty of other good reasons to search and watch this movie when it hits screens nearby or when you get a chance to see it streamed.
More of a tv-movie than a cinematic one
TheTruthofItIs3 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
When James Figueras tells Miss Hollis that artists in medieval times depicted flies on those who were cursed, you knew this could be a turn-of-phrase on "Lord of the Flies" which James turns out to be by film's end, because he's revealed by Miss Hollis to have a reputation, a life, built upon lies, deceit, and fraud, a revelation which costs her life, maybe a little too conveniently since our leading man now turns out to be a casual murderer, hmm, points off for plausibility. Anyway it's a passable affair, a storyline/plot you more expect from watching an old "Columbo" or "Murder She Wrote" episode. I stumbled upon this when researching other performances of Elizabeth Debicki who seems to be everywhere these days with starring roles in "Tenet", "Valerian...", and "Guardians of the Galaxy 2". And she's in a darkened love scene, so a bonus if you're a fan. I enjoyed Claes Bang in "Dracula" so it was fun to see him in this, too, and Mick Jagger in his first film appearance in almost 20 years! He relished his role as art dealer Joseph Cassidy which was fun to watch too.
Okay, but promised to be brilliant
grantss30 April 2021
An ambitious art critic, James Figueras, is approached by a wealthy art collector, Joseph Cassidy, with a proposition. Cassidy has the reclusive artist Jerome Debney living on his estate: if Figueras can procure for him, by whatever means, a Debney painting he can get an interview with Debney, something no one has done for 50 years, and Cassidy will help Figueras's career. Getting the painting becomes an obsession for Figueras.
An interesting enough drama. Set up is very good: intriguing and engaging and holds the promise of a clever, twist-filled conclusion. One can see all the possible paths the plot can take, sense all the potential submerged dealings and double-crosses. The possibilities for a sharp, thrilling conclusion were many and great.
Yet the writers and director end up taking a lacklustre, disappointing path. It's reasonably clever but is also half-baked and anti-climactic, having an unfinished quality to it. There were so many better possibilities out there and also heaps of time available to progress towards a better ending.
Overall: okay but disappointing.
An interesting enough drama. Set up is very good: intriguing and engaging and holds the promise of a clever, twist-filled conclusion. One can see all the possible paths the plot can take, sense all the potential submerged dealings and double-crosses. The possibilities for a sharp, thrilling conclusion were many and great.
Yet the writers and director end up taking a lacklustre, disappointing path. It's reasonably clever but is also half-baked and anti-climactic, having an unfinished quality to it. There were so many better possibilities out there and also heaps of time available to progress towards a better ending.
Overall: okay but disappointing.
The Burnt Orange Heresy - Could Have Been
krocheav7 June 2021
This is undoubtedly a Stylish picture with good locations, performers, cinematography and a strong, eerie music score, that actually adds more chills than some of the script elements. It's interesting for a film about 'art' to quite honestly expose the charlatans and shonky dealings within this sometimes overrated & overpriced, business. Being an international co-production it unfortunately indulges in some sensationalist type sex scenes, to bring together a couple of unlikely 'partners in crime'. The first half offers some promise and intrigue between a shady con-man art critic, an obscure artist, and a somewhat immoral art collector - with greed and deception being their catalyst.
Problems begin to overshadow any possibility of the better elements of the story remaining in the foreground, when the script gives way to a particularly nasty murder, and some clumsy attempts to cover it up - leading to an ultimately unsatisfactory resolution. Thriller fans may not mind the finale but those who look for more believable outcomes could be left disappointed. The participation of rock star Mick Jagger does little to advance him as a film star - beyond being an odd interest. The rest of the cast acquit themselves well, with what they have to work with.
Problems begin to overshadow any possibility of the better elements of the story remaining in the foreground, when the script gives way to a particularly nasty murder, and some clumsy attempts to cover it up - leading to an ultimately unsatisfactory resolution. Thriller fans may not mind the finale but those who look for more believable outcomes could be left disappointed. The participation of rock star Mick Jagger does little to advance him as a film star - beyond being an odd interest. The rest of the cast acquit themselves well, with what they have to work with.
mayhem and crime in the art world
myriamlenys5 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
If the high-end art trade were a city, it would probably ressemble one of those cities, say a London or a Paris, standing on top of a great honeycomb of sewers and tunnels. And there, in this dank and dangerous underworld, one could find anything and everything : caches of drugs, ancient graves, entrances to secret brothels, shaft ladders overrun with diseased rats.
"The burnt orange heresy" is a thriller exploring this dark side. The scenery may be nice and sun-kissed, but the intrigue is certainly black-hearted enough, what with people willing to commit or condone forgery, arson and murder in order to make a great deal of money.
At the same time the movie is a satire, and a pretty sharp-witted satire too, on the kind of modern art that is wholly dependent not on vision and talent, but on hype and razzle-dazzle. Here, as an old reactionary of the type that falls asleep from boredom in front of glue-covered parakeet cages called "Buttercup Synergy XXIII", I cannot but agree. And yes, I too have entertained unpleasant suspicions on the subject of art critics who can wax lyrical about the unsurpassed significance of a few stripes of yellow paint criss-crossing a white background...
I found "Heresy" entertaining and suspenseful. I also liked the cleverness of some of the ideas, such as the fingerprint immortalized in drying paint. ("Mark of Cain", indeed.) However, I cannot call "Heresy" a complete triumph. For instance, there was Donald Sutherland's performance as Jerome Debney, the ancient and reclusive painter. Sutherland gave his character a sinister, manipulative edge that felt definitely creepy : one would not have been surprised to see the old painter bully or abuse an unsuspecting woman. Instead Debney turned out to be relatively innocuous, at least compared to some of the sharks circling around.
The movie also spins a tale in which nobody finds it suspicious that a man's career should be punctuated by devastating fires. One hopes that in real life at least SOME policemen or insurance investigators would sit up and take notice - there can't exist too many persons whose artistic output gets destroyed through fire three times in a row.
I've never read the source novel "Heresy" is based on, but after watching the movie I've put it on my "to do" list.
"The burnt orange heresy" is a thriller exploring this dark side. The scenery may be nice and sun-kissed, but the intrigue is certainly black-hearted enough, what with people willing to commit or condone forgery, arson and murder in order to make a great deal of money.
At the same time the movie is a satire, and a pretty sharp-witted satire too, on the kind of modern art that is wholly dependent not on vision and talent, but on hype and razzle-dazzle. Here, as an old reactionary of the type that falls asleep from boredom in front of glue-covered parakeet cages called "Buttercup Synergy XXIII", I cannot but agree. And yes, I too have entertained unpleasant suspicions on the subject of art critics who can wax lyrical about the unsurpassed significance of a few stripes of yellow paint criss-crossing a white background...
I found "Heresy" entertaining and suspenseful. I also liked the cleverness of some of the ideas, such as the fingerprint immortalized in drying paint. ("Mark of Cain", indeed.) However, I cannot call "Heresy" a complete triumph. For instance, there was Donald Sutherland's performance as Jerome Debney, the ancient and reclusive painter. Sutherland gave his character a sinister, manipulative edge that felt definitely creepy : one would not have been surprised to see the old painter bully or abuse an unsuspecting woman. Instead Debney turned out to be relatively innocuous, at least compared to some of the sharks circling around.
The movie also spins a tale in which nobody finds it suspicious that a man's career should be punctuated by devastating fires. One hopes that in real life at least SOME policemen or insurance investigators would sit up and take notice - there can't exist too many persons whose artistic output gets destroyed through fire three times in a row.
I've never read the source novel "Heresy" is based on, but after watching the movie I've put it on my "to do" list.
tired, foolish and hallow
Bryyycers6 May 2021
Not much left of the book here but an enjoyable film all the same.
chris-h-316 September 2020
I enjoyed The Burnt Orange Heresy film it looks very pretty and has some nice dialogue. All the cast were good and Mick Jagger was a surprise in that he played his part very well. Claes Bang seemed quite old for the part of a young and up and coming critic though.
The plot at times seemed a little strained. I read the Charles Willeford book a few years ago which possibly helped in following what was going on so far as what the characters motivations were. The film itself seems closer to something from the Tom Ripley novels than in does the book it is supposedly based on. It left out a key thing about Debney's career which everything should really hinge on, seems the script writer wanted to turn this into amost a European film noir than anything to do with the book. But it was an enjoyable hour and fourty minutes all the same.
The plot at times seemed a little strained. I read the Charles Willeford book a few years ago which possibly helped in following what was going on so far as what the characters motivations were. The film itself seems closer to something from the Tom Ripley novels than in does the book it is supposedly based on. It left out a key thing about Debney's career which everything should really hinge on, seems the script writer wanted to turn this into amost a European film noir than anything to do with the book. But it was an enjoyable hour and fourty minutes all the same.
The Burnt Orange Heresy (2020) - 6.0
Bonnell727 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Act 1 - 6.1
Act 2 - 6.6
Act 3 - 5.2
Good performances by all
Dialogue is very good and that's what the film relies on the most
Film was smart until the third act when things get quite ridiculous
Big character jump for James that doesn't make sense and derails the film
Film does land the final scene but struggled to get there
James is an art critic, very well educated and articulate
Meets Berenice who he sleeps with and invites her to meet a famous art dealer
They meet Joseph Cassidy and he seems quite eccentric
Jerome Debney a famous artist is in a house next door and tease a meeting with him
Joseph wants James to interview Jerome and make history by talking to and critiquing him
In return Jospeh wants one of his works of art and threatens James with exposing him as helping to sell a forgery if he fails
Berenice is quite mysterious and seems to be hiding some personal info
Debney is a fan of James's articles and agrees to talk to him
James tries to uncover more about Berenice and he doesn't believe much that she says
Berenice goes alone on a boat ride with Debney while James goes to his house to try and steal one of his paintings
Berenice asks about James's story to open the film and Debney gives some different insight
James fails to get in and hurts his nose and bleeds
Berenice reveals to Debney that she is a teacher and is trying out a new life here in Italy
Fly on the bathtub of James, talked earlier how it signified death in paintings
Debney hasn't made any new work feel discarded after his few weeks of fame after the fire, put up the empty frame as a joke and people took it and ran with it
Burnt his own villa after with his work in it, now paints in his mind not on canvas and James is upset
The Burnt Orange Hersey is the names of one of his blank canvas
James goes back and breaks into Debney's home and takes the Burnt Orange Heresy and some paint and a copy of his signature
James then sets the cottage on fire, took a very drastic turn
James and Berenice leave that night as James is in a hurry to flee the scene
James was a failed artist and now has an opportunity to forge a Debney
Joseph calls about the painting and James gets his inspiration for what to paint, only Debney is existence even though this will be a fake
Berenice sees what James has done and confronts him, James is going insane and then drowns Berenice
Turns out she didn't die and James tries to apologize for attempted murder
Such a massive and unbelievable chapter jump that doesn't make much sense
Berenice goes back to the apartment with him, crazy
Berenice calls him a fraud and he's the fly then he hits her killing her for real this time
Absolutely crazy and so ridiculous how this third act has turned into unrealistic nonsense
James puts her body at the bottom of a pond, tough ending for Berenice who turned out to be a good person just looking for a new start
On news Debney is dead at Joseph's home
Everyone talking about Debney again and James is the only person to have claimed to see his work
James writes a book about him and is a big deal in the art world now
Cassidy seems to know what James has done to Berenice
Berenices mother seems to have received a drawing from Debney of Berenice, the only real Debney
See the fingerprint left behind from Berenice, could be tracked back to him, James now paranoid
James opens a letter left for him by Debney and it's just full of flies
Get to see the real last Debney in Berneices mother's Home with photos of her, debney did sign it and that's the last shot
.
Act 2 - 6.6
Act 3 - 5.2
Good performances by all
Dialogue is very good and that's what the film relies on the most
Film was smart until the third act when things get quite ridiculous
Big character jump for James that doesn't make sense and derails the film
Film does land the final scene but struggled to get there
James is an art critic, very well educated and articulate
Meets Berenice who he sleeps with and invites her to meet a famous art dealer
They meet Joseph Cassidy and he seems quite eccentric
Jerome Debney a famous artist is in a house next door and tease a meeting with him
Joseph wants James to interview Jerome and make history by talking to and critiquing him
In return Jospeh wants one of his works of art and threatens James with exposing him as helping to sell a forgery if he fails
Berenice is quite mysterious and seems to be hiding some personal info
Debney is a fan of James's articles and agrees to talk to him
James tries to uncover more about Berenice and he doesn't believe much that she says
Berenice goes alone on a boat ride with Debney while James goes to his house to try and steal one of his paintings
Berenice asks about James's story to open the film and Debney gives some different insight
James fails to get in and hurts his nose and bleeds
Berenice reveals to Debney that she is a teacher and is trying out a new life here in Italy
Fly on the bathtub of James, talked earlier how it signified death in paintings
Debney hasn't made any new work feel discarded after his few weeks of fame after the fire, put up the empty frame as a joke and people took it and ran with it
Burnt his own villa after with his work in it, now paints in his mind not on canvas and James is upset
The Burnt Orange Hersey is the names of one of his blank canvas
James goes back and breaks into Debney's home and takes the Burnt Orange Heresy and some paint and a copy of his signature
James then sets the cottage on fire, took a very drastic turn
James and Berenice leave that night as James is in a hurry to flee the scene
James was a failed artist and now has an opportunity to forge a Debney
Joseph calls about the painting and James gets his inspiration for what to paint, only Debney is existence even though this will be a fake
Berenice sees what James has done and confronts him, James is going insane and then drowns Berenice
Turns out she didn't die and James tries to apologize for attempted murder
Such a massive and unbelievable chapter jump that doesn't make much sense
Berenice goes back to the apartment with him, crazy
Berenice calls him a fraud and he's the fly then he hits her killing her for real this time
Absolutely crazy and so ridiculous how this third act has turned into unrealistic nonsense
James puts her body at the bottom of a pond, tough ending for Berenice who turned out to be a good person just looking for a new start
On news Debney is dead at Joseph's home
Everyone talking about Debney again and James is the only person to have claimed to see his work
James writes a book about him and is a big deal in the art world now
Cassidy seems to know what James has done to Berenice
Berenices mother seems to have received a drawing from Debney of Berenice, the only real Debney
See the fingerprint left behind from Berenice, could be tracked back to him, James now paranoid
James opens a letter left for him by Debney and it's just full of flies
Get to see the real last Debney in Berneices mother's Home with photos of her, debney did sign it and that's the last shot
.
The Empty Frame
richardchatten13 April 2023
Although he's plainly never really learned to act, over the years Mick Jagger has acquired a quite substantial list of cinema credits and here even gets billed before Donald Sutherland.
The latter plays the reclusive artist Jerome Debney performing a similar function to the crazy old lady in 'The Aspern Papers'.
Following in the footsteps of 'The Da Vinci Code' and the Ripley films this plush piece of escapism based on a novel by Charles Willeford set on the shores of Lake Como cynically depicts an art world of venal charlatans while both leads smoke non-stop; the hero even doing so in the bath.
The latter plays the reclusive artist Jerome Debney performing a similar function to the crazy old lady in 'The Aspern Papers'.
Following in the footsteps of 'The Da Vinci Code' and the Ripley films this plush piece of escapism based on a novel by Charles Willeford set on the shores of Lake Como cynically depicts an art world of venal charlatans while both leads smoke non-stop; the hero even doing so in the bath.
Brian Jones Is Counting On You, Mick!
Dan1863Sickles8 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Late one night Brian Jones appeared to Mick Jagger in a dream.
"Hello, Mick! How's it feel being a dried-up old fossil?"
"It beats being dead, mate."
"Ha-ha, everyone dies, Mick. But I got there first. I taught you how to play the harmonica. I taught you how to get girls. I founded the Rolling Stones! You owe me. Anyway, the Devil has me, and he wants you. But you can make Satan happy and get me out of hell. All you have to do is make the worst movie of all time!"
"It's a trick," Mick thought. "It's a burnt umber conspiracy!" The Devil had been trying to snare Mick for years. All those millions of fans, the hit records, the endless sex and fame, he'd earned it all by working hard and staying clean and sober. But the Devil was jealous. And he knew Mick's only weakness.
Mick wanted to be a movie star.
"Every movie I make is bad, but can I really make the worst movie of all time? What if it's just slightly bad, like all the others?"
Mick knew the Devil was just waiting to pounce.
"Okay, Mick, you're a hundred years old, and you're an art collector. A man of wealth and taste! But there's one painter you can't collect. He lives next door and he's got a whole shed full of paintings. You only want one. But he won't give it to you!"
"So I kill him with my bare hands and steal the painting. I set the shed on fire and go on a killing spree!"
"No, you're too old and feeble to do anything like that. You hire a young art critic to steal the painting."
"And then he goes on a killing spree?"
"Well, sort of. He kills the old artist, sets the shed on fire, and runs out with the painting. But it's really just a blank canvas! So then he paints a fake picture of his own, and says it's the masterpiece you were looking for. And you believe him because you're such an expert collector. And just to be sure no-one else figures out what he did, he kills his girlfriend."
"Right, is she a bit of a floozy, then? Like, look at that stupid girl?"
"No, she's really nice. She's crazy about him even though she knows he's a lousy painter and a lousy person. But he just has to be rich and famous because he wants to be just like you!"
"You know, this sounds like it could be the worst movie of all time. Let's do it!"
Mick mumbled his way through the dreary film shoot, making funny faces, rolling his eyes, anything to keep from falling asleep. Now and then he looked over at the stunning blonde who played the girl friend, and thought about what he could have done to her fifty years ago. Or forty years ago. Or even thirty years ago . . .
But it was no use. Time waits for no-one. And Mick Jagger was out of time. On the last day of the shoot, he gave the blonde a hug, and then fell to the floor clutching his chest. It was his heart, and they'd warned him not to exert himself.
"Worst movie of all time," he muttered. "Worst movie of all time!"
Like a true rock hero, Mick Jagger had kept his part of the bargain, and he was sure he would go to heaven. The only bad part was that Brian Jones would probably get there first.
Again.
"Hello, Mick! How's it feel being a dried-up old fossil?"
"It beats being dead, mate."
"Ha-ha, everyone dies, Mick. But I got there first. I taught you how to play the harmonica. I taught you how to get girls. I founded the Rolling Stones! You owe me. Anyway, the Devil has me, and he wants you. But you can make Satan happy and get me out of hell. All you have to do is make the worst movie of all time!"
"It's a trick," Mick thought. "It's a burnt umber conspiracy!" The Devil had been trying to snare Mick for years. All those millions of fans, the hit records, the endless sex and fame, he'd earned it all by working hard and staying clean and sober. But the Devil was jealous. And he knew Mick's only weakness.
Mick wanted to be a movie star.
"Every movie I make is bad, but can I really make the worst movie of all time? What if it's just slightly bad, like all the others?"
Mick knew the Devil was just waiting to pounce.
"Okay, Mick, you're a hundred years old, and you're an art collector. A man of wealth and taste! But there's one painter you can't collect. He lives next door and he's got a whole shed full of paintings. You only want one. But he won't give it to you!"
"So I kill him with my bare hands and steal the painting. I set the shed on fire and go on a killing spree!"
"No, you're too old and feeble to do anything like that. You hire a young art critic to steal the painting."
"And then he goes on a killing spree?"
"Well, sort of. He kills the old artist, sets the shed on fire, and runs out with the painting. But it's really just a blank canvas! So then he paints a fake picture of his own, and says it's the masterpiece you were looking for. And you believe him because you're such an expert collector. And just to be sure no-one else figures out what he did, he kills his girlfriend."
"Right, is she a bit of a floozy, then? Like, look at that stupid girl?"
"No, she's really nice. She's crazy about him even though she knows he's a lousy painter and a lousy person. But he just has to be rich and famous because he wants to be just like you!"
"You know, this sounds like it could be the worst movie of all time. Let's do it!"
Mick mumbled his way through the dreary film shoot, making funny faces, rolling his eyes, anything to keep from falling asleep. Now and then he looked over at the stunning blonde who played the girl friend, and thought about what he could have done to her fifty years ago. Or forty years ago. Or even thirty years ago . . .
But it was no use. Time waits for no-one. And Mick Jagger was out of time. On the last day of the shoot, he gave the blonde a hug, and then fell to the floor clutching his chest. It was his heart, and they'd warned him not to exert himself.
"Worst movie of all time," he muttered. "Worst movie of all time!"
Like a true rock hero, Mick Jagger had kept his part of the bargain, and he was sure he would go to heaven. The only bad part was that Brian Jones would probably get there first.
Again.
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