The Last Vermeer is yet another example of a remarkable relatively unknown true story. It’s set on the heels of VE Day, May 1945, in the Netherlands. The film is based on the book The Man Who Made Vermeers by Jonathan Lopez and directed by first-time director, Dan Friedkin.
We first meet Joseph Piller (Claes Bang, The Square), a Dutch resistance fighter, who is looking into who sold a painting by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer to Nazi kingpin Herman Goering for 1.6 million guilders. He soon suspects flamboyant painter, Hans van Meegeren (Guy Pearce, The King’s Speech, The Hurt Locker) and puts him in confinement to uncover the truth. As more information comes to light, especially from the persuasive and captivating prisoner, Piller switches from accusing Hans of profiting from the enemy to believing his story. Could he really be an incredible forger who was not collaborating with the Nazis, but swindling them out of millions?
Several of the other characters are not fully realized. There is the standard interjurisdictional squabble with the Dutch head cop looking like the bad guy in a James Bond movie. Piller’s assistant, Minna (Vicky Krieps) is part loyal assistant, part love interest, neither of which adds to the story. The same might be said for his estranged wife, Leez (Marie Bach Hansen), however her social engagements with the Nazis highlights the torment people experienced under Nazi occupation. The need to cooperate somewhat with the enemy in order to survive while still being able to live with yourself afterwards. There are other examples of this in the movie. Might the dashing counterfeiter have been a little more comfortable with the Nazis than he let on?
The transition underway in post-war Europe is not overlooked in telling the story. The lavish Nazi parties, the little girl standing on a pile of rubble, and the public executions of traitors all portray the hardships and anxiety of surviving the Second World War. These depictions provide a vivid and powerful backdrop.
The film culminates in the trial with a big reveal immediately after it ends. Hans preens and jokes, taking control of the courtroom, his curly mustache rising and falling along with the emotions of his story. It’s all a bit much, but entertaining in an exaggerated kind of way.
I had not read the book or known anything about Johannes Vermeer. With that clean slate, I liked the movie and became familiar with yet another of the endless sagas that emanate from WWII.
D² Rating ◼◼◼☐☐
Trivia ? – In what Limited TV Series did Guy Pearce win the Best Supporting Actor Emmy in 2011?
Answer: Mildred Pierce