Inspired by remarkable true events, acclaimed writer/director Bonitzer’s sharp and hugely engrossing dramedy follows a self-assured auctioneer whose professional and personal integrity is challenged by the discovery of a long-lost masterpiece.

Paris, present day. Brash 40-something André Masson (César Award-winner Alex Lutz), a hotshot modern art appraiser at prestigious high-end auction house Scottie’s, receives word that a painting by Egon Schiele may have been found in a young factory worker’s home in the Alsatian city of Mulhouse.

Though highly sceptical, André travels to view the canvas with his ex-partner Bettina (the superb Léa Drucker, Custody) who is also an expert valuator, only to be convinced of its authenticity as a masterwork long assumed destroyed by Nazi officials during WWII. For André, the ramifications of this once-in-a-lifetime find for his career and for his contentious relationship with his less-than-reliable intern Aurore (Louise Chevillotte), will prove both unexpected and transformative.

Skilfully brought to life by an array of endearing and duplicitous characters, THE STOLEN PAINTING is a thrilling exploration of the often-cynical world of art dealing and collecting, where the jaw-dropping prices aren’t always related to the rarity of the object or the desire of potential customers.
www.thestolenpainting.com.au

The wonderful French comic books featuring Astérix and his friends have fuelled many a youngster’s imagination and sense of fun both here and abroad. This animated feature, Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion continues with those traditions. It is whimsical, irreverent and at times, completely bonkers.

The village elder Panoramix (Bernard Alane) falls from a tree while helping a young bird return to its nest and sustains a broken foot. This decline in invincibility leads him to consider a successor to teach the production of a magic potion that gives one great strength. This strength helps the villagers to defend themselves. He sets out off with Astérix, Obélix and his apprentice Pectine to scour Gaul to find his replacement.

The film is decidedly French in feel and this removes some the restrictions that the American animators tend to place on their work. The characters get to go old school Three Stooges on each other and plot lines have few limits. It’s fun to return to this sense of anarchy. This is a work to be enjoyed by all ages for its irreverence and imagination.

Rob Hudson
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