The Burnt Orange Heresy (2020)

This film adaptation of the Charles Willeford crime novel has been getting a bit of a bad rap. I felt that's too bad as I found a lot of the film intriguing, from it's deeply flawed lead played magnificently by Claes Bang to its beguiling plot. I found it an engaging pot boiler.

There are some fair critiques. The film mishandles its female lead. This character is missing some of what she needs to be more dimensional and it's not Debicki's performance (which is quite strong) but the structure of the film. And I'm not sure the film earns its ending? It gets a little extreme near the end, not fully crossing the line of believability but pushing right up to it. I'm not sure it quite gets us there but I accepted it for the purposes of the film.

Still despite those critiques I feel the film is quite watchable and its pulpy plot is enjoyable. There is a Talented Mr. Ripley quality to it. And more than that, it asks some interesting questions about art and the meaning of that art which is fascinating. And at the centre of it all Bang gives a truly enjoyable performance that was so enjoyable to watch. So it's the kind of film that if you stumble across it, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to give it a shot.

The Burnt Orange Heresy
Starring: Claes Bang, Elizabeth Debicki, Mick Jagger, Donald Sutherland
Director: Giuseppe Capotondi
Writer: Scott Smith