mostly lukewarm reviews read about this film of war-art-theft
though enough other factors meaning it's worth taking the time
helen mirren for one - vienna the backdrop city is also appealing
the reviewers are not impressed - it's paint-by-numbers film-making
too predictable - huh - it's a true story - and widely unheard i suspect
anyway - the film opens in 1907 with the painter gustav klimt at work
he has been commissioned to paint a portrait of adele bloch-bauer
gold flakes being applied to the painting - the film's title explained
cut to los angeles 1998 - the funeral of the sister of maria altmann
maria (mirren) then telling a friend of the discovery of some letters
looking for some legal advice - the friend's son to be contacted
randol schoenberg (ryan reynolds) is a struggling young lawyer
grandson of the famous composer so he has austrian ancestry
in a meeting with him maria explains her story and concerns
it is her aunt in the painting - her uncle had commissioned it
stolen by the nazis and now hanging in a gallery in vienna
maria believes it belongs to the family but needs advice
a long flashback then starting with a photo coming to life
maria and her sister enjoying a culturally rich life in vienna
scenes inside their palatial home where the painting hangs
back in the current day maria convinces randol to help her
so off to vienna they go - to appear at a reparations hearing
and with that the opportunity to drop in some vienna scenery
the hofburg palace, staatsoper and the holocaust memorial seen
maria and randol's bond growing with their austro-jew heritage
but their request to regain ownership of the klint painting declined
both return defeated to their lives as prior in l a - he now a father
months go by before randol stumbles on a book on klint artwork
he buys it - and convinces maria they now have grounds to sue
seems the gallery is not permitted to obtain commercial gain
they then work the case through the american justice system
altmaan vs the state of austria - they hiring expert art lawyers
a david vs goliath hearing but randol prevails and wins the case
maria's point is made but she wants the painting back - not money
so an offer is made and accepted to go to arbitration in vienna
another long flashback then kicks in showing maria's story
her jewish family torn apart with the arrival of nazis in ww2
she and her husband in a tense series of scenes escaping
pursued by the nazis but managing to fly out and to america
returning to the modern day again and the arbitration hearing
the panel of 3 agreeing the painting rightfully belongs to maria
me - tearful and goose-bumpy at the outcome - totally absorbed
predictable? - maybe - but what an amazing journey it provided
further enhanced with the photos and text running at film's end
the painting - sold to the lauder gallery in new york - $135m
the funds used to establish a jewish holocuast memorial
randol - now a very successful art reparations lawyer
maria - back to running her small clothing boutique
what a great feel-good film - damn the bad reviews
helen mirren - surely an oscar nomination at least
classy stuff - highly recommended from me....
