THE FORGER
US, 2014, 110 minutes, Colour.
John Travolta, Christopher Plummer, Tye Sheridan, Abigail Spencer, Anson Mount, Jennifer Ehle.
Directed by Philip Martin.
The Forger is a crime story but is not an action film. Rather, it is a film about family and relationships between fathers and sons – with absent mothers.
The film was directed by British Philip Martin, responsible for some television programs including Wallander, Birdsong, Prime Suspect.
John Travolta, looking old, is a forger who is released from prison, a criminal boss paying a corrupt judge for the release. He returns home to stay with his crusty old father, Christopher Plummer, an old conman. His father is caring for his teenage son, Tye Sheridan, who is suffering from a brain tumour.
Travolta is hired to do a forging job, painting a forgery of a Monet painting, with some attention given to the buying of the canvas, its authenticity, buying the paints, the sketching and the colouring. In the meantime, a police agent, Abigail Spencer, is keeping on track with the forger and his violations against parole, but hoping to nab the gangsters and a cartel chief who has contracted to buy the painting after it is stolen.
The main action is the con in the art gallery, the grandfather drinking soda and causing some kerfuffle while getting the keys to the gallery, also telling the cartel leader that the painting is a fake, the son participating in the con, and a complex substitution and non-substitution of the painting with the forger giving the leads to the police agent for her arresting the criminals.
Mild in terms of action, more interesting in terms of family relationships.
1. A film about criminals, crime, gangsters, police investigations?
2. A film about families, the generations, father to son, absent mothers, bonding?
3. The American city, prisons, homes, the streets, clubs, police precincts, galleries, restaurants? Feel of the city? The musical score?
4. The title, the focus on Ray, his skills at forging, paintings? His being used for a swindle? The hold over him by the gangsters? His being used?
5. Ray in prison, the sudden release, the reasons, the judge being bribed, Keegan and his wanting to use Ray for the forgery? Police suspicions, parole, Ray being observed by Agent Paisley? His breaches of parole?
6. Ray, his character, relationship with his father, his father being a conman? His mother dying? His son, his relationship with Kim, her drug addiction, separation? His returning home, to see his son, going to the specialist, his son’s brain cancer, his concern, the son’s request to see his mother, his violent confrontation to find out where she was, the bashings in the street, his finding her, persuading her to go to the lunch, in the restaurant, satisfied that his son was happy? Will and his desire to have sex? Ray taking him to the prostitute? The police, their having to run, jumping from roof to roof, escaping? The growing bond with his father? The job, going to see Keegan, buying the painting, cleaning the canvas, the authentic feel of the 1870s, the prints, his sketching, painting? Going to the gallery, the devices to trick the guards, security, the lights? The involvement of his father, his son, getting the painting out, discussions with Agent Paisley, setting up the confrontation with the fake painting, the cartel leader, wanting vengeance against Keegan, Agent Paisley and the arrests? His father saying the painting was a fake? His being given the money? Their flight, happiness and the holiday?
7. Ray’s father, an old conman, bringing up his grandson? Ray and his return, gruff manner, their discussions, the grandson wanting to see his mother? His gradual mellowing? Agreeing to participate in the con, drinking the soda in the gallery and being ousted, getting the keys? His telling the cartel leader that the painting was a fake? The con as a family job?
8. The grandson, his absent father, wanting to know his mother? His skill at home? Going to the specialist, the brain tumour, his collapse? His father reassuring him? Wanting to see his mother, the happiness of the lunch with her? His guessing the truth? His wanting to have sex, going to the brothel, the police, escaping up the stairs, leaping across the buildings? His collapse? Participation in the con, his exhilaration?
9. Keegan, criminal, bribing the judge, getting Ray out of prison, the con with the painting, hold over Ray, wanting to get rid of him? His comeuppance?
10. The police, Agent Paisley undercover in the club, noticed by Ray? The later discussions, following, her file on the various characters? Pursuing Ray across the roof? Discussions with him, his giving her the case, the success?
11. Kim, as mother, addiction, found, unwilling to go to the lunch, changing her mind, participating, taking the pills, appreciating the visit with her son? Standing on the railway station and going back home?
12. The film as a focus on family over and above the crime and the con?
