The cast is tops. And the top actor is Stephen Fry an art professor then collection curator. Douglas Henshall buys a painting for his partner. Then five years pass, and he and she are not together. She, Lenore Crichlow, is engaged to the man purchasing the Fry collection. The painting Henshaw bought for her she sold, and it is in the collection. He offers to buy it, but is refused. He, Fry, and Kenneth Collard decide to take seven paintings and replace them with forgeries. The criminal doing the theft gives the Hate character a phony painting. In the third five years we find out what happened.
I think breaking the timeline into five year segments doesn't work. It worked in the book by Rankin, but here it slows the pace too much. The soundtrack is the most annoying music I have ever heard.
Still, it is a good film for the top acting.
7 Reviews
Badly paced, and almost colonial
nephihaha29 December 2012
At least half of this badly paced and poorly written crime caper could have been cut. Most of the first hour drags... the "heist" is mildly entertaining, but doesn't make up for the rest.
All the educated, middle class people, apart from Douglas Henshall's character are English, or have English accents. And all the schemies/working class people have Glaswegian ones. (Apart from some Geordie criminals!) Edinburgh is not like that, and it seems all too reminiscent of the Alasdair Gray row. Is Scotland colonised? Well, watching this, you'd well think so. Apparently almost all Scots live in council house schemes, are football obsessed and don't get involved in the art world. The hegemony implicit in this is outrageous!
All the educated, middle class people, apart from Douglas Henshall's character are English, or have English accents. And all the schemies/working class people have Glaswegian ones. (Apart from some Geordie criminals!) Edinburgh is not like that, and it seems all too reminiscent of the Alasdair Gray row. Is Scotland colonised? Well, watching this, you'd well think so. Apparently almost all Scots live in council house schemes, are football obsessed and don't get involved in the art world. The hegemony implicit in this is outrageous!
Underrated gem!
windsong35316 June 2019
Amazon ratings are much higher. Thoroughly entertaining, satisfying romp. It rises above the crime caper genre with a great cast, humor, a love story, engaging characters, Scottish locale, museum world interest, and an Ian Rankin novel screenplay adaptation.
very disappointing
john-savage1960-575-5751147 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
A good book ruined by an awful screenplay and changes to characters.
The main plot of the book, with the policeman suspecting something was up concerning the main characters, was disregarded. Also the main villains in the book were Scandanavian but in this they were Geordies / Scots. Considering that one of the screenplay writers is of Scandanavian origin then you would think that this would be left in.
The heist itself was a joke, it would have been much better left as per the book. I may be wrong but I had the impression that it was a comedy drama as opposed to a drama.
Very, very poor.
The main plot of the book, with the policeman suspecting something was up concerning the main characters, was disregarded. Also the main villains in the book were Scandanavian but in this they were Geordies / Scots. Considering that one of the screenplay writers is of Scandanavian origin then you would think that this would be left in.
The heist itself was a joke, it would have been much better left as per the book. I may be wrong but I had the impression that it was a comedy drama as opposed to a drama.
Very, very poor.
Great entertainment
bnocarmel31 December 2013
As a fan of Ian Rankin I really wanted to see this movie. Although it strays a little from the novel, it kept to the crux of the story. The acting was great with memorable characters. It was funny, exciting and a pleasure to watch. Underrated by previous comments.
Particularly enjoyed the starring roles, the sights of Edinburgh and the music. Also, there was some classic dialog on the value of art, the international money crisis and the banking industry.
Gently thrilling as the plot comes to a climax. The conclusion is totally satisfying.
Great entertainment for family viewing, the broken-hearted and anyone who feels cheated by the big banks.
Particularly enjoyed the starring roles, the sights of Edinburgh and the music. Also, there was some classic dialog on the value of art, the international money crisis and the banking industry.
Gently thrilling as the plot comes to a climax. The conclusion is totally satisfying.
Great entertainment for family viewing, the broken-hearted and anyone who feels cheated by the big banks.
Clever, incredibly well-acted, charming
nehamaj-428-39756723 February 2021
Very Underrated
Cassiel4 January 2022
I'm surprised that this is so low rated. I saw it when it first came out, and then again nearly a decade later. I love this small and fun little film, part heist, part love story. The plot is decent, the acting is good, and the directing is inventive (note the shot looking straight down from the ceiling as the tourists are forced to exit after the fire alarm).
I gave this film a 9 out of 10, though am perhaps tempted to give it a full 10 out of 10. Love it!
I gave this film a 9 out of 10, though am perhaps tempted to give it a full 10 out of 10. Love it!
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