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Sunday May 25th at 4.30pm. Adults: $16.00, Concessions: $14.00.
Inspired by incredible true events, acclaimed writer/director Pascal Bonitzers sharp and engrossing new social comedy follows a self-assured auctioneer whose professional and personal integrity is challenged by the discovery of a long-lost masterpiece. Paris, present day. Brash 40-something Andr Masson (Csar Award-winner Alex Lutz), a hotshot modern art appraiser at prestigious high-end auction house Scotties, receives word that a painting by Egon Schiele may have been found in a young factory workers home in the Alsatian city of Mulhouse. Though highly sceptical, Andr travels to view the canvas with his ex-partner Bettina (the superb La Drucker, Custody) who is also an expert valuator, only to be convinced of its authenticity as a masterwork long assumed destroyed by Nazi officials during WWII. For Andr, the ramifications of this once-in-a-lifetime find for his career and for his contentious relationship with his less-than-reliable intern Aurore (Louise Chevillotte), will prove both unexpected and transformative. Skilfully brought to life by an array of both endearing and duplicitous characters, THE STOLEN PAINTING is a thrilling exploration of the often-cynical world of art dealing and collecting, where the jaw-dropping prices aren't always related to the rarity of the object. Its savvy and sophisticated entertainment.