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Sunday, August 28, 2011

Barnes Collection - Art of The Steal Movie Review


If you haven't heard of the Barnes art collection, I'll give you a quick primer.  Albert Barnes aquired a profound collection of the most important impressionist and modernist art in the world. When he died his will demanded that it remain in his home located in Lower Merion, PA.  Eventually, powerful interests in the state of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia forced the collection to be removed from Barnes' Lower Merion home and into Philadelphia (the expected move is in 2012)


"The Art of The Steal" is documentary that follows all of the conspiratorial events that led up to the decision to "steal" the collection from the Barnes foundation.


The film is very good. It really drives home how powerful interests can form a coalition and force anything to happen, against all wishes.  The events leading up to the decision to move Albert Barnes' art is a bit convoluted but this film makes it very easy to follow.


This film really made me think.  It isn't just some high brow, aristocratic artistic dilemma. It raises questions about exactly how sacred a man's last will and testament really is. You want your property to be doled out a certain way after you die and it may, or may not as this film shows, turn out that way at all.

The Art of The Steal also does a nice job of demonstrating how different motives can compete against one another. The people who can defend the Barnes collection work for or depend on the forces who want to take it.


There are some great conspiratorial aspects to the film as well.


Good film to watch. Check it out.


More Best Movie Reviews By TurtleDog

Great and Disturbing Foreign War Film


Film on The Gritty Life of a Derivative Trader


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