A Thrilling Satire About the Highbrow Art World of Parisian Auctioneers
On a day like any other, André Masson, a hotshot art broker at a premier auction house, receives an intriguing request. A provincial lawyer believes that her young working-class client may have acquired a work of art long thought to be lost during World War II. Keeping his expectations low, André travels to the suburbs with his fickle assistant to appraise the painting.
Their skepticism quickly turns to astonishment when they realize the painting is an authentic Egon Schiele masterpiece that had gone missing decades earlier following its confiscation by Nazi officials. André realizes this discovery could undoubtedly be the turning point of his career. But is the painting truly what they think it is?
This powerful ensemble drama raises complex questions about moral obligations and ethics in a highbrow world of high art fueled by money and power. Writer-director Pascal Bonitzer, a legendary French screenwriter and director, has written 48 features and has been nominated for Cézar awards three times. In this film, he deftly handles these questions, as well as the lively cast of characters, with nimbleness and a sincere concern for restitution.