IMDb RATING
6.1/10
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Hired to procure a rare painting from one of the most enigmatic painters of all time, an ambitious art scholar becomes consumed by his own greed and insecurity as the operation spins out of ... Read allHired to procure a rare painting from one of the most enigmatic painters of all time, an ambitious art scholar becomes consumed by his own greed and insecurity as the operation spins out of control.Hired to procure a rare painting from one of the most enigmatic painters of all time, an ambitious art scholar becomes consumed by his own greed and insecurity as the operation spins out of control.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination
Lewis Dodley
- Spectrum News NY1 Anchor
- (uncredited)
Flaminia Fegarotti
- Art Admirer
- (uncredited)
Rasneet Kaur
- Lea
- (uncredited)
David Lancaster
- Art Lecture Attendee
- (uncredited)
Katie McGovern
- Art Party Girl
- (uncredited)
Alexia Murray
- Art Patron
- (uncredited)
Pat Starke
- Art Fan
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe luggage tag that can be seen on Berenice's suitcase at the beginning of the climactic bathtub and staircase scenes is airport code TCS. This is for a municipal airport in the US state of New Mexico, a real city called Truth or Consequences. This is perfect framing for everything that follows.
- GoofsDebney walks off for his rendezvous with "the widow" without the cane he's been using throughout previous scenes.
- Quotes
Berenice Hollis: It's not real, James. You're not real.
- ConnectionsFeatured in On a Darkling Plain: Behind 'The Burnt Orange Heresy' (2019)
Featured review
Such a treat to see these actors chew up the scenery!
When I first heard of THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY, fairly early in 2020, I was eager to see almost anything "new" that might be coming out, because of the pandemic shut-down. It didn't become available for purchase until late in the year, if memory serves, but I bought it. And then, it sat on my shelf until early 2022. By the time I got it, there was more new content available. Shinier, flashier "new' movies to watch. But I finally got around to it the other day, and I'm sure glad I did.
Claes Bang is James, an lecturer on art criticism in Milan who we soon see is filled with self-loathing at not being a great artist, or at least the curator of a major museum and an important person in the art world. It seems he was headed in that direction, but his own shady ethics tripped him up. Early in the film, he meets the intriguing Berenice (Elizabeth Debicki) an American on some kind of extended holiday from her small Minnesota town. The two strike up a fling and James invites Berenice to join him on his upcoming visit to the Lake Como home of the filthy rich and very renowned art collector Joseph Cassidy (Mick Jagger). James hopes he might be landing a gig writing about Cassidy's collection, but no, he's given the chance to interview Jerome Debney (Donald Sutherland), the most reclusive famous artist in the world, an opportunity to start his downward career back upward again. All he must do is compromise his already pretty malleable ethics.
First off, this is a very talky film. It does deal with a "caper" of sorts, but it's mostly clever, educated people trying to out-clever each other. The dialogue is rich and witty and sounds nothing like how real people would talk. HOWEVER, it's still a blast to revel for 90 brisk minutes in a world full of people who live in a very distinct, hermetic world. And it's a film that's neatly constructed enough that we have no trouble understanding the plot and the stakes. We have no issues quickly understanding that no one in the film is really showing their true selves (or if they are, their true selves are pretty slimy).
The cast is terrific; they're the best reason to see this film. I very much enjoyed the plot and the dialogue and even the scenery. But these are not characters we'll warm up to immediately, if at all. It takes some great performances to draw the viewer in. Bang (who was terrific in THE SQUARE, another movie in which he plays a person in the highest echelons of art) is great. He's charming and witty, but you can always smell the desperation on him. Debicki is the closest we have to a "heart" in this film, and she may be the character we root for. But there is plenty of mystery about her too, and she is a striking figure. Sutherland is delightful as the reclusive artist, full of a great mix of sliminess and charm. He always seem one step ahead of everyone. Everyone, that is, except Jagger's billionaire. Jagger's character is clearly a "bad guy", but he brings such sting to every insult he casually let's drop from his lips. It may not be the technically greatest performance you'll ever see, but Jagger is clearly so deeply delighted with playing this character, you cannot help but love every minute of his fairly brief appearance.
As the machinations of plot get ever more complex, and the ethical (and criminal) choices made play out, the pace of the film matches. Director Giuseppe Capotondi apparently understands that this thing is so talky that it needs to move fast. He lets us enjoy the actors, but things keep moving. It's too outrageous to allow us much time to think about it. This is a caper/heist film in which the heist is NOT the payoff. It's the build up to it, and the rather unexpected aftermath that are key. I can easily envision a director taking a leisurely approach to this: let's spend lots of time looking at these lovely people and lovely scenery. But Capotondi doesn't waste a minute. And in the end, when the final moments play out, I had a big smile on my face. It all played out just like the tone and characters suggested it might all along.
It's a cerebral thriller, with juicy dialogue and acting. I'm very glad I finally got around to watching it!
Claes Bang is James, an lecturer on art criticism in Milan who we soon see is filled with self-loathing at not being a great artist, or at least the curator of a major museum and an important person in the art world. It seems he was headed in that direction, but his own shady ethics tripped him up. Early in the film, he meets the intriguing Berenice (Elizabeth Debicki) an American on some kind of extended holiday from her small Minnesota town. The two strike up a fling and James invites Berenice to join him on his upcoming visit to the Lake Como home of the filthy rich and very renowned art collector Joseph Cassidy (Mick Jagger). James hopes he might be landing a gig writing about Cassidy's collection, but no, he's given the chance to interview Jerome Debney (Donald Sutherland), the most reclusive famous artist in the world, an opportunity to start his downward career back upward again. All he must do is compromise his already pretty malleable ethics.
First off, this is a very talky film. It does deal with a "caper" of sorts, but it's mostly clever, educated people trying to out-clever each other. The dialogue is rich and witty and sounds nothing like how real people would talk. HOWEVER, it's still a blast to revel for 90 brisk minutes in a world full of people who live in a very distinct, hermetic world. And it's a film that's neatly constructed enough that we have no trouble understanding the plot and the stakes. We have no issues quickly understanding that no one in the film is really showing their true selves (or if they are, their true selves are pretty slimy).
The cast is terrific; they're the best reason to see this film. I very much enjoyed the plot and the dialogue and even the scenery. But these are not characters we'll warm up to immediately, if at all. It takes some great performances to draw the viewer in. Bang (who was terrific in THE SQUARE, another movie in which he plays a person in the highest echelons of art) is great. He's charming and witty, but you can always smell the desperation on him. Debicki is the closest we have to a "heart" in this film, and she may be the character we root for. But there is plenty of mystery about her too, and she is a striking figure. Sutherland is delightful as the reclusive artist, full of a great mix of sliminess and charm. He always seem one step ahead of everyone. Everyone, that is, except Jagger's billionaire. Jagger's character is clearly a "bad guy", but he brings such sting to every insult he casually let's drop from his lips. It may not be the technically greatest performance you'll ever see, but Jagger is clearly so deeply delighted with playing this character, you cannot help but love every minute of his fairly brief appearance.
As the machinations of plot get ever more complex, and the ethical (and criminal) choices made play out, the pace of the film matches. Director Giuseppe Capotondi apparently understands that this thing is so talky that it needs to move fast. He lets us enjoy the actors, but things keep moving. It's too outrageous to allow us much time to think about it. This is a caper/heist film in which the heist is NOT the payoff. It's the build up to it, and the rather unexpected aftermath that are key. I can easily envision a director taking a leisurely approach to this: let's spend lots of time looking at these lovely people and lovely scenery. But Capotondi doesn't waste a minute. And in the end, when the final moments play out, I had a big smile on my face. It all played out just like the tone and characters suggested it might all along.
It's a cerebral thriller, with juicy dialogue and acting. I'm very glad I finally got around to watching it!
helpful•50
- RMurray847
- Mar 15, 2022
- How long is The Burnt Orange Heresy?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Yanık Portakal
- Filming locations
- Lake Como, Italy(Cassidy's Villa)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $144,201
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $16,163
- Mar 8, 2020
- Gross worldwide
- $711,691
- Runtime1 hour 39 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was The Burnt Orange Heresy (2019) officially released in Japan in Japanese?
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