Not every casting decision has to be obvious to the point of inspired, and in plenty of cases plucking names out of left field can turn out to be a masterstroke. That being said, it’s always strange when an eclectic array of talent is assembled for a movie that nobody gets around to seeing, which is true of crime thriller The Burnt Orange Heresy.
Giuseppe Capotondi’s art world caper initially premiered in September 2019 before scoring a theatrical release six months later, where it promptly sank without a trace when the first wave of COVID-19 hit, leading to a paltry box office total of $676,000.
The plot follows a charismatic critic and his lover, who travel to the picturesque Italian estate of an influential and powerful collector. Upon their arrival, the enigmatic elder statesman asks them to heist a painting from Jerome Debney, an acclaimed and reclusive artist who isn’t willing to sell up of his own accord.
Ignoring the 23-year age difference between them, it was odd to see Danish actor Claes Bang (who was best known among mainstream audiences for headlining the BBC’s lavish Dracula adaptation) partnering up with statuesque rising star Elizabeth Debicki, and that’s without even mentioning the fact Mick Jagger is the one who urges the duo to steal the work of Donald Sutherland’s Debney.
It’s a random quartet if ever there was one, but despite decent enough reviews, The Burnt Orange Heresy often indulged too heavily in the pretension the art sphere is famed for. The performances are strong, though, and it’s even become one of the biggest hits on Paramount Plus for good measure.
As per FlixPatrol, the self-indulgent melodrama ranks as the 16th most-watched title on the platform’s global charts, even if it isn’t quite the sum of its unusually assembled parts.
Published: Apr 4, 2022 02:06 am