The Thief Collector

If you recall the last proper edition of the BBC sitcom "Only Fools and Horses", you''ll remember that "Del" and "Rodney" discover an old watch that turns out to be worth millions at auction. Well this is a real take on that scenario, as house clearance folks are brought in to clear the ranch of a deceased, ostensibly middle-class, American couple. On the wall in the bedroom they discover a painting. These guys are pretty knowledgable, and suspecting it might be worth something contact the experts who identify it as a long-missing painting by Willem de Kooning that was stolen from an Arizona museum. On further exploration of their home, the inspectors soon discover that this couple had quite a collection of things that had "gone missing" an...

It is rare that one can become completely enamored with a documentary film, but director Allison Ottos The Thief Collector grabbed be from the opening frame. This true story of a museum heist in the mid-1980s features an interesting topic filled with twists and turns, exceptional storytelling, and is a wildly entertaining film that will especially appeal to art lovers.

The day after Thanksgiving in 1985, a couple wearing simple disguises walked into the University of Arizonas art museum. The wife distracted a museum guard while her husband literally cut one of the most valuable paintings of the 20th century, Willem de Koonings Woman-Ochre, from its frame. The pair ran out into the desert, leaving behind no fingerprints.

The criminals ...