IMDb RATING
6.7/10
3.4K
YOUR RATING
An artist is suspected of selling a valuable painting to the Nazis, but there is more to the story than meets the eye.An artist is suspected of selling a valuable painting to the Nazis, but there is more to the story than meets the eye.An artist is suspected of selling a valuable painting to the Nazis, but there is more to the story than meets the eye.
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
3.4K
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writers
- John Orloff(screenplay by)
- Mark Fergus(screenplay by)
- Hawk Ostby(screenplay by)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- John Orloff(screenplay by)
- Mark Fergus(screenplay by)
- Hawk Ostby(screenplay by)
- Stars
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Videos3
- Director
- Writers
- John Orloff(screenplay by)
- Mark Fergus(screenplay by)
- Hawk Ostby(screenplay by)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
Claes Bang (THE SQUARE) stars as Joseph Piller in this captivating dramatic thriller set just after WWII - an all but forgotten true story - about a soldier investigating renowned Dutch artist Han van Meegeren, played by Guy Pearce (LA CONFIDENTIAL), who is accused of conspiring with the Nazis. Despite mounting evidence, Piller becomes increasingly convinced of Han's innocence and finds himself in the unlikely position of fighting to save the life of the colorful man with a mysterious past. The film also features Vicky Krieps (PHANTOM THREAD).
- Taglines
- Deception is a fine art.
- Genre
- Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated R for some language, violence and nudity
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaThe main characters represent actual persons: Han van Meegeren, Joseph Piller, Johanna Oerlemans, Dirk Hannema. However the movie frequently diverges from historical facts:
- The most important gap is the trial: actually, Van Meegeren painted the Vermeer-style frame ("Jesus among the Doctors") for the trial, in the presence of court-appointed witnesses. He thus demonstrated the other alleged Vermeers were also fake and was charged with forgery and fraud, a much lesser offense than collaboration with the enemy. He was hence never sentenced to death, just to one year imprisonment.
- Joseph Piller arrested van Meegeren but did not act as his attorney.
- Van Meegeren was jailed in May 1945, released in Jan. or Feb. 1946 (after finishing the above-mentioned painting) and stood trial in Oct. and Nov. 1947. He was not detained in the attic of Goudstikker art gallery but mainly in the nearby HQ of Military Command.
- He did not sign his book for Hitler. However, according to the book the movie is partly based on, van Meegeren was a fascist sympathizer and did send an admiring note to Hitler in 1942.
- There are many exaggerations about characters and situations, notably Piller's and Dekker's methods as well as the feud between the Military and the Ministry of Justice.
- GoofsThe Colonel is wearing three stars (pips) on his shoulder which denotes the rank of Captain. He should be wearing one crown and two stars.
- Quotes
Esper Dekker: Not that I didn't enjoy it, but what the hell did we just do?
- Crazy creditsBefore end credits, Han Van Meegeren is shown seated painting along with a series of his forged paintings.
Top review
surprised me
After the war, Hermann Göring's stash of stolen art is found. Among them is a Vermeer painting titled Christ and the Adulteress. Joseph Piller investigates how it ended up there. The Dutch Jew was a tailor before the war. He joined the resistance and is now a Canadian Captain in the Allied Command. He traces the painting back to uncooperative art dealer Han Van Meegeren (Guy Pearce). The Allies are slowly being replaced by the Dutch government and Piller has to solve the mystery before losing his case.
I don't know anything about the history which is part of the point of the movie. It's rare to be completely surprised these days but this one takes an unexpected turn. It's a fine crime drama and mystery for the first half. I did find Van Meegeren's reticent somewhat repetitive until the reveal changes it all. I was expecting a vast conspiracy but this has something on a more human level from everybody like Piller's wife and Dirk Hannema. It's a fascinating true story.
I don't know anything about the history which is part of the point of the movie. It's rare to be completely surprised these days but this one takes an unexpected turn. It's a fine crime drama and mystery for the first half. I did find Van Meegeren's reticent somewhat repetitive until the reveal changes it all. I was expecting a vast conspiracy but this has something on a more human level from everybody like Piller's wife and Dirk Hannema. It's a fascinating true story.
helpful•81
- SnoopyStyle
- Aug 29, 2021
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Son Vermeer
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $685,380
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $225,691
- Nov 22, 2020
- Gross worldwide
- $884,710
- Runtime1 hour 58 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content

Recently viewed
Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.