This is a very flawed film but might be of some interest to some(though not really to me despite my love of art). The subject of the film is a famous theft of some amazingly expensive paintings at a art gallery in Boston and the efforts of a few (particularly Harold Smith) to track down the stolen works. It's a documentary and is told in a rather peculiar manner--showing the efforts of Smith today to recover these treasures as well as flashback scenes of the lady's life who created the museum and assembled the collection.
So why do I say it was flawed? Well, the biggest problem it has is trying to make the viewer interested--which it seldom does despite the precious loss. Very subdued music, low-key performances and a somberness that is almost sleep-inducing all contribute to this. The bottom line is that the film needed energy--which is sorely lacked. In addition, this problem was made worse by its running length. There really only seemed to be about 45-60 minutes worth of material at best and its padding just made the whole thing drag. Not bad, but it sure could have been a lot better.
So why do I say it was flawed? Well, the biggest problem it has is trying to make the viewer interested--which it seldom does despite the precious loss. Very subdued music, low-key performances and a somberness that is almost sleep-inducing all contribute to this. The bottom line is that the film needed energy--which is sorely lacked. In addition, this problem was made worse by its running length. There really only seemed to be about 45-60 minutes worth of material at best and its padding just made the whole thing drag. Not bad, but it sure could have been a lot better.