Sui generis animation from Hungary, Milorad Krstic’s film is visually hallucinogenic & enjoyably deranged in style & story even when its narrative thread proves elusive. At heart, a caper pic with a ring of psychologically messed up thieves grabbing masterpieces from museums in plain sight using simple distraction techniques & sleight of hand during regular visiting hours. (For one job, theft becomes lively performance art with a big shout-out to artist/provocateur Marina Abramovic.) Turns out the thieves are getting their orders, along with group therapy, from their shrink, art collector Ruben Brandt, desperate to stop his terrifying art-inspired nightmares by gathering thirteen specific works from the world’s museums (Botticelli, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Picasso, Warhol, etc.). But a young Paris-based detective has special insight into the case, if he can only keep up with the thieves on chases thru the city, at sea, and on the highway. (In action set pieces MAD MAX’s George Miller couldn’t top.) I’m at a loss figuring out the various animated techniques used here, but it all looks fabulous. With wonderfully imaginative character design reflecting early 20th century avant-garde movements a perfect fit. So, even if you’re a bit confused in the first half, style, brio & kinetic fun should hold you till the story starts sorting itself out in the second half. Riotous and rhapsodic stuff. Sony Classics’ marketing couldn’t make a go of this, but it has future cult status written (make that drawn) all over it.
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