LYING AND STEALING

US, 2019, 100 minutes, Colour.
Theo James, Emily Ratajkowski, Fred Melamed, Ebon Moss- Bachrach, Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Directed by Matt Aselton.

This crime film, with touches of humour, is something of a time-passer.

Theo James portrays a young man who is trying to pay off his father’s debt to a Greek art connoisseur by stealing paintings from the wealthy. He comes across a would-be actress at some of his operations, Emily Ratajkowski, who is something of a con woman herself. Fred Melamed plays the rather sleazy moneylender, art connoisseur, who is seduced by the actress which leads to his unmasking as well as his death.

Also in the action is the eccentric and bipolar brother, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach?, erratic in his behaviour, but important for the action, posing as the actresses chauffeur, eventually responsible for the art dealer’s death.

There are also some FBI agents who are determined to capture the thief but then do deals with him for the more important criminal.

In some ways it plays like an old-fashioned romantic comedy. But, it will please those are fans of Theo James, but maybe too slight to make a real impact.