Documentary that follows the struggle for control of Dr. Albert C. Barnes' 25 billion dollar collection of modern and post-impressionist art.
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The Art of the Steal
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4.1 (9) |
| Directed by: | Don Argott |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Country: | US |
| Language: | English |
| Running Time: | 101 minutes |
| Genre | Documentary |
| Rating | n/a |
User reviews
View all user reviewsAverage user rating from: 9 user(s)
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Talk Cinema Glenview - Audience Ratings
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
54% EXCELLENT43% GOOD 97% OVERALL FAVORABLE 83% WOULD RECOMMEND 14% MIGHT 97% OVERALL RECOMMEND Ron Falzone led the post-screening TALK CINEMA discussion. TALK CINEMA subscribers in Glenview write: Wow! Great story well told. Good propaganda, good discussion (M25-34). Very informative, loved all beautiful art ( F65+). Smiled throughout – political thriller (35-49). Remarkable microcosm of our society (65+). My favorite Cezannes! I found them! If only I had $25 billion (F35-49). Sad commentary on theft by legal means of private property (F50-64). A travesty fueled by greed and the corruption of law by the legal system. Power grab of epic proportion (F65+). Sickens me to see the American legal system misused for government’s ability to revise a persons trust and abuse of private property ( F25-34). More entertaining and emotional than fiction (F50-64). Gripping. One lesson: read the budget (F65+). Why does everything have to be mass consumed? Something appealing about the Barnes foundation being focused on education, makes the experience more special ( F35-49). Mixed to negative: Interesting but too long, had already made its point (F65+). Only good thing about the film was the discussion it initiates (M50-64). User Review
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Reviewed by Talk Cinema Glenview
March 31, 2010 Top 10 Reviewer View all my reviews Report this review |
Talk Cinema Purchase - Audience Ratings
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
61% EXCELLENT39% GOOD 100% OVERALL FAVORABLE 90% WOULD RECOMMEND 10% MIGHT 100% OVERALL RECOMMEND Harlan Jacobson led the post-screening TALK CINEMA. TALK CINEMA subscribers in Purchase, New York write: Gripping (F50-64). Excellent doc especially for art lovers (F65+). Compelling, real life always more interesting than fiction (F50-64). Barnes’ theory was about the education of viewing : this film showed how a great vision becomes deconstructed and corrupted ( F50-64). Important film, sad ending loved the views of the collection (F65+). Fascinating, very well put together, classic cautionary tale (F65+). Very informative, great story, very disturbing ending (F50-64). Is there no end to corporate greed? How exciting – W.M.D. all over again (F50-64). Made me angry and sad, wished they had an alternate ending ( M50-64). Thought-provoking indictment of money and power to trump individual will (F50-64). A very interesting and informative film, I knew very little about the situation (F65+). Terrific, outdoes Michael Moore, moving and inspiring (65+). How depressing that a person’s wishes can be diverted by power-hungry grabbers (65+). Consistently fascinating, infuriating, and funny (F35-49). Mixed to negative: Excellent doc, bit long, sometimes tedious, but very well done (M65+). User Review
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Reviewed by Talk Cinema Purchase
March 31, 2010 Top 50 Reviewer View all my reviews Report this review |
Talk Cinema Lincoln Center - Audience Ratings
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
83% EXCELLENT15% GOOD 98% OVERALL FAVORABLE 93% WOULD RECOMMEND 03% MIGHT 96% OVERALL RECOMMEND Harlan Jacobson led the post-screening TALK CINEMA. TALK CINEMA subscribers in New York write: Was on the edge of my seat as to how this would turn out, a great story, really quite a tragedy from at least half the perspective (F25-34). Very fine (F65+). If you want to protect your legacy you must have many children (M65+). I’m on Governor Rendell’s side, if Montgomery County is so stupid to lose it, they deserve to (F50-64). Well done and generates good discussion (50-64). Great polemic (M50-64). Better and more instructive story than the most creative fiction (M65+). I felt emotionally connected to the film and thought it did a great job of “educating” the public about an important issue (50-64). An absorbing expose very well researched and organized, story mirrors most art world scenarios (50-64). Excellent presentation of tragic ability of powerful forces to alter individuals ability to control their choices (65+). Wonderful, its all about the money (F65+). What a story of betrayal! Beautifully crafted story about how the system works – makes your blood boil (F50-64). Best documentary I’ve seen (65+). Thank you Harlan for brining this jewel of a movie to our class (F50-64). Wonderful exploration of democracy and the intersection of idealism, politics, money and influence that resonates beyond the art world (F65+). When someone says it’s the principle, not the money, it is always the money (M65+). Heartwrenching, have been to the Barnes still trembling thinking about it (M65+). Excellent, I learned a lot (M50-64). Makes me want to turn off NPR when they give credits to foundations (65+). An amazingly clear and detailed account of a very complicated issue… a remarkable exposition of the political maneuvering of politicians, foundations, and moneyed interests (M65+). Once again a black college gets screwed (M25-34). Power corrupts – ya think? (F65+). Very depressing, agree that it was one sided but makes you think about your legacy when you have heirs (F50-64). Drama of fiction without a Hollywood ending (65+). Mixed to negative: Visiting the Barnes is a far superior experience to watching this film about the Barnes (F50-64). Pure propaganda, cant take any argument seriously when only one side is presented (35-49). User Review
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Reviewed by Talk Cinema Lincoln Center
March 31, 2010 Top 10 Reviewer View all my reviews Report this review |
Talk Cinema Scottsdale - Audience Ratings
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
50% EXCELLENT40% GOOD 90% OVERALL FAVORABLE 79% WOULD RECOMMEND 13% MIGHT RECOMMEND 92% RECOMMEND RESPONSE Tim Rodgers led the post-screening TALK CINEMA discussion. TALK CINEMA subscribers in Scottsdale write: Outstanding (). Excellent! (50-64). Told with great care, money rules the world (M35-49). Wonderful, thank you for the experience, where is justice? (F50-64). Fascinating story, well presented (F50-64). Intelligent, interesting, well done (50-64). Very thought provoking (F50-64). Best part of film is how it showed political games that happen behind the scenes (F50-64). Want to go to Philly to see Barnes collection in its original state before it is moved (F65+). Art as commodity vs art as beauty ( 50-64). Should be seen by all art students and art museum staff (M65+). MIXED TO NEGATIVE: Obviously biased but VERY interesting ( F50-64+). Parochial propaganda and slanted, not great cinema, but well done (M65+). Belongs on 60 minutes rather than at the movies (M35-49). Long and drawn out (F50-64). User Review
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Reviewed by Talk Cinema Scottsdale
March 31, 2010 Top 50 Reviewer View all my reviews Report this review |
Talk Cinema Washington, DC - Audience Ratings
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
OUR AUDIENCES RATED THE FILM79% EXCELLENT / 19% GOOD for a 99% OVERALL FAVORABLE 92% WOULD RECOMMEND /6% MIGHT for a 98% OVERALL RECOMMEND Pat Aufderheide led the post-screening TALK CINEMA discussion. TALK CINEMA subscribers in Washington DC write: Excellent, I’m not one who seeks out documentaries, brilliant cinematography, art direction, soundtrack (M25-34). Spectacular, best of the season, excellent storyline very interesting on multi-dimensional level (F50-64). What is the morality of holding art captive in private collections (65+). So many “ifs”: if the Inquirer review had been positive, if Barnes and Annenberg hadn’t gotten into a pissing contest, if Barnes and De Mazia had considered succession planning on par with legal planning, if greed didn’t trump ethics (F65+). As gripping as a drama as if Shakespeare had written a legal and art drama – a great tragedy (50-64). Film plays like a Shakespearian tragedy (35-49). Informative, raises provocative issues, enjoyed the interviews as a vehicle to move the film forward (F65+). Good job with linear detail of complicated story, scary (50-64). Really fascinating story that I didn’t know anything about, felt dirty that I had seen the collection on tour, I can appreciate all sides of a delicate argument (F35-49). Am heading back to Merion as soon as I can to enjoy the collection in its original setting (F65+). Fascinating power struggle using invaluable artworks as the excuse. Will be thinking about this for days. (F50-64). As documentaries go this steps toward mystery and suspense, great nuances of politics, power, race, and class struggle (M50-64). Last one out please turn off the lights, Barnes has left the building (65+). Well presented argument, but having seen the Barnes collection in Merion, I do think the most people seeing it the better (M65+). Powerful portrayal of the social consequences of a personal rivalry that gets embedded in a legal document (M65+). Wonderfully edited, important story, well told (F35-49). I’m a native Philadelphian. I grew up believing that Dr. Barnes was eccentric and hostile to the wider Philadelphia community – now I understand why. He was ahead of his time in more ways than one. Bravo (F35-49). Mixed to Negative: Interesting but one sided (F65+). User Review
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Reviewed by Talk Cinema Washington, DC
March 31, 2010 Top 10 Reviewer View all my reviews Report this review |
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