THE STOLEN PAINTING

THREE AND A HALF STARS A valuable painting, long thought lost to history, is found hanging on the wall of a young man who wants nothing to do with it.

DRAMA FRANCE French #THESTOLENPAINTING Starring Alex Lutz, Léa Drucker

THE STOLEN PAINTING plays out like a smartly cut thriller, but what really lingers isn’t the mystery — it’s the slow, satisfying excavation of character. Beneath its Parisian gloss, this is a study in how money can corrode almost anything it touches, even the people who think they’re above it.

Our guide into this world is André (Alex Lutz), a polished, razor-sharp art auctioneer at one of the city’s most prestigious firms. He knows appearances matter and has the wardrobe to prove it. He also presents with extraordinary arrogance, a trait fed by the circles he moves in and a childhood he’s never fully unpacked. That blend of privilege and unresolved hurt makes him difficult company - especially for his intern, who comes with her own tangle of problems, not least a compulsive habit of lying. You can feel the tension in every interaction.

When a long-lost painting - Nazi loot thought vanished forever - turns up in the home of a working-class family, worlds collide. They have no idea how to navigate the rarefied air of André’s profession, but unlike many of its players, they know exactly where they stand morally. The family’s young man, insistent he wants nothing in return for surrendering stolen history, is quietly magnetic — a figure of dignity in a room full of deal-makers.

Yes, there’s a plot here involving rediscovery, shifting loyalties, and a few narrative cul-de-sacs, but the real pleasure is in watching motivations unspool. Sharp production along with judicious camera and editing choices enhance the experience. As alliances change hands, values are tested and greed finds new shapes - all in a brisk 90 minutes. Director Pascal Bonitzer doesn’t labour the point, landing redemption quickly and cleanly. It’s the kind of ending that makes you reassess the players, and maybe yourself, on the way out.

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