"Lying and Stealing" was interesting in the development of the central character named Ivan, a clever young man working as an art thief in order to pay off his late father's gambling debts.
Early in the film, there are lively scenes with Ivan pulling off his incredible heists. Along the way, he meets a young woman named Elyse, an actress who claims that she was blackballed from working in Hollywood due to an unscrupulous producer. The pair join forces to mutually aid one another in their endeavors.
The other major character is a nefarious "art consultant" named Dimitry, who is collecting on the gambling debts of Ivan's wayward father. Dimitry is the main object of an FBI agent, who is trying to get at Dimitry by following Ivan. One of the best moments in the film is a lengthy monologue spoken by the FBI agent using the saltiest of language while in a diner with Ivan.
Unfortunately, the good potential was not realized in the second half of the film. The relationship of Ivan and Elyse never got on track because they were so busy in role-playing and covering up the truth to each other. Their best scene together was the impersonation of a hipster couple claiming to be interested in purchasing an expensive home in Costa Mesa, so that Ivan could case the joint for rare art work. But the film imploded with an unsatisfactory and predictable ending that did not make the viewer want to return for a sequel of "Lying and Stealing."
Following the film's opening credits, there was a quote that appeared on the screen from one of the Yiddish proverbs: "When a thief kisses you, count your teeth." At the start, the film appeared to have pretensions of examining how the sociological dimension of trust has evaporated from our society. But, in the final analysis, this was at heart an ordinary heist film.
Early in the film, there are lively scenes with Ivan pulling off his incredible heists. Along the way, he meets a young woman named Elyse, an actress who claims that she was blackballed from working in Hollywood due to an unscrupulous producer. The pair join forces to mutually aid one another in their endeavors.
The other major character is a nefarious "art consultant" named Dimitry, who is collecting on the gambling debts of Ivan's wayward father. Dimitry is the main object of an FBI agent, who is trying to get at Dimitry by following Ivan. One of the best moments in the film is a lengthy monologue spoken by the FBI agent using the saltiest of language while in a diner with Ivan.
Unfortunately, the good potential was not realized in the second half of the film. The relationship of Ivan and Elyse never got on track because they were so busy in role-playing and covering up the truth to each other. Their best scene together was the impersonation of a hipster couple claiming to be interested in purchasing an expensive home in Costa Mesa, so that Ivan could case the joint for rare art work. But the film imploded with an unsatisfactory and predictable ending that did not make the viewer want to return for a sequel of "Lying and Stealing."
Following the film's opening credits, there was a quote that appeared on the screen from one of the Yiddish proverbs: "When a thief kisses you, count your teeth." At the start, the film appeared to have pretensions of examining how the sociological dimension of trust has evaporated from our society. But, in the final analysis, this was at heart an ordinary heist film.