Another day another new release to see at my local Megaplex! Last night I went to see The Burnt Orange Heresy because I saw a trailer for it at the Broadway before everything shut down and I thought it looked intriguing. It was definitely intriguing! James Figueras (Claes Bang) is a disgraced art critic who has been reduced to giving art history lectures to Americans on holiday in Europe. He has a one night stand with a mysterious American woman named Berenice Hollis (Elizabeth Debicki) and then impulsively asks her to go with him to a villa on Lake Como owned by Joseph Cassidy (Mick Jagger), an eccentric art dealer who has invited him, he assumes, to catalog his collection. However, Cassidy soon informs Figueras that he has persuaded the reclusive artist Jerome Debney (Donald Sutherland) to stay in a cottage on his property and offers him the opportunity to be the first to interview Debney in decades. Cassidy then reveals that in return for the interview, which will restore his reputation within the art world, he wants Figueras to steal one of Debney's new and unseen paintings for him. Figueras eventually makes a startling discovery about Debney that sets in motion an elaborate deception with deadly consequences. This is a very stylish noir thriller with tension that builds and builds, especially as each of the characters slowly reveal their secrets and the audience is left wondering whose secrets are more dangerous. Bang and Debicki have great chemistry as they spar with each other about art and truth while Jagger exudes a menacing charisma that is fun to watch. I really enjoyed the philosophical discussion about art and perception, particularly the argument that a painting's worth doesn't necessarily determine its value. This is the kind of movie that I rather like but I'm not sure who else it might appeal to (I was the only person in my screening) other than fans of slow-moving thought-provoking indie films.
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