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Even to ardent culture vultures, the premise of “The Art of the Steal” may sound tame, especially when considering all the global-issue, high-stakes, fear-factor documentaries the genre has recently produced.
The movie chronicles the rocky history and fate of The Barnes Foundation, the world-famous educational institution in Lower Merion that houses a $25 billion collection of Post-Impressionist and early Modern art. It pointedly suggests a vast conspiracy was cooked up by Philadelphia power players to facilitate the move of Barnes art to a new museum on the Ben Franklin Parkway, violating founder Dr. Albert Barnes’ will. One might think, “Sure, it’s a shame, but what’s the big deal?”
The triumph of the extensively researched film, directed and shot by Philadelphia’s own Don Argott (“Rock School”), is it not only invests you in its subject matter, it infuriates you in the process, driving home the magnitude of what the institution means to many and how their interest in keeping it intact didn’t stand a chance against the powers that be. And, while it’s clear whose side Argott is on, he allows the opportunity to rationalize the relocation, incorporating interviews that stress the fiscal benefits and accessibility a city-based Barnes would provide.
But that perspective only makes a dent, whereas the heartfelt enthusiasm of the film’s underdogs leaves a mighty strong impression. Ditto for Argott’s wise decision to play up the conspiracy angle in the visual, aural and narrative, staging the proceedings like a paranoid thriller.
Audiences are left wondering what the film hopes to achieve, since it would appear the Barnes’ fate already has been decided. But not every non-fiction feature is out to change the world. Some, like this one, are comfortable with simply changing minds. Involved and involving, “The Art of the Steal” is a feat of enlightenment and smart entertainment.
The Art of the Steal
Not rated
Three-and-a-half reels out of four
Opens Feb. 26 at the Ritz Five
The September Issue
PG-13
Available Tuesday
Speaking of engaging documentaries, catch up with one of 2009’s juiciest. “The September Issue” is director R.J. Cutler’s fascinating (and very fun) look behind the scenes of American Vogue.
Focusing on the production of the fashion mag’s 5-pound, 840-page September ’07 issue, the film boasts unprecedented access into the life and work of Anna Wintour, the formidable editrix who famously served as the inspiration for the devil in “The Devil Wears Prada.”
Cutler doesn’t crack Wintour’s diamond-hard exterior, but he does open the doors to an exciting world, and he delivers a film that’s compulsively watchable.
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