He swindled millions of guilders from Nazi officers by selling them his own forgeries of 17 th Century painter Johannes Vermeer’s artwork. Roland Møller (Skyscraper) and Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread) lend solid support as his allies. Based on a true story, the movie begins in 1945, 3 weeks before the fall of Hitler’s Reich. 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. He famously duped none other than Nazi bigwig Hermann Goering into buying one of his faked Vermeer paintings. To those you could add that, ironically, Van Meegeren fakes have now become valuable in their own right. The Last Vermeer is based on the true story of Han van Meegeren, who went to trial in 1947 for colluding with the Nazis and was instead convicted of being a pretty remarkable forger—painting a bevy of fake Vermeers that the art world took as the real thing. Han van Meegeren gets a movie made about him because he was probably the most successful art forger of all time. : On the Many Faces of Frankenstein. The script – based on Jonathan Lopez’s book The Man Who Made Vermeers – provides a perhaps surprisingly nuanced and complex picture of Van Meegeren. But the verdict is not the end. We can also see the influence of films like "The Third Man." First, though, let's look at the movie as a work of drama. And I have to say director Dan Friedkin crafts a mostly (one glaring exception aside) accurate and compelling version of the story in The Last Vermeer. Without the bizarre courtroom scenes, this could have been an excellent film that asks some big questions. Because he paints in the style of his idols Rembrandt and Vermeer, critics find his work old-fashioned and they call him a copycat. All films, even those based on historical events, are a reflection of and in conversation with the issues of the present. As Piller uncovers more and more priceless art works, his attention turns to renowned Dutch artist Han van Meegeren (Guy Pearce). Entry Form - Win Movie Tickets from The Blurb. Too many other cat and mouse games were being played instead of just focusing on this character. He is charming, fun, and lively. Even with his life on the line, Van Meegeren plays it cool. The forgery, which fooled even the most well-educated of experts, was instead the work of Han van Meegeren, who revealed at a 1947 trial in Amsterdam … That sale however landed him in hot water after the end of World War II*. It was quite refreshing watching this very original post-WWII movie which tells the story of little-known Dutch folk hero Han Van Meegeren, regarded as one of the most ingenious art forgers in history. The Last Vermeer ends up being a mixed bag. Van Meegeren likewise felt that quality was the most important thing. Directed by André Michel. Deception is a fine art. This is the period of uncertainty following the end of World War 2 and the downfall of the Nazis .As this fascinating if a little dull at the edges, film opens we get to know that Han is on trial for collaborating with the Nazis, when in fact he did just the opposite. Van Meegeren insists he was not collaborating with the Nazis; he was defrauding them. The film is the directorial debut of Dan Friedkin, who is an experienced producer. A flamboyant narcissist who made a fortune during World War II, van Meegeren was quickly swept up in the Allied hunt for stolen works of art. 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