The Forger

People expecting a more action oriented heist type of movie will probably be disappointed. "The Forger" leans towards family drama territory.

Now, if you can get past Travolta's look in this picture (I couldn't help getting distracted by his awkward wig and goatee) and don't expect much, you'll probably be mildly entertained.

Christopher Plummer is very likable in this, and his presence helps the movie a lot.

Overall, straight to video material.

5 out of 10

"If you had one wish, what would you wish for?" Raymond (Travolta) is tired of being in prison and will do anything to get out. He finally finds a way, by making a deal with a criminal. If they let him out he must pull of an impossible heist in return. Backed into a corner Raymond, his father (Plummer) and his son must do the impossible or face dire consequences. This is a movie I was looking forward to. It sounded interesting and I love heist movies. I am not a huge fan of Travolta but I was still excited about this. I was disappointed. This was really just a paint by numbers movie with nothing all that new or original. You can see the end coming a mile away and that takes all the fun out of the movie. Some people may like this but I was pretty disappointed. Overall, not as good as I hoped. The Best Offer was a way better movie. I give this a C+.

"You ever going to Tahiti like Paul Gauguin? I don't know."

If there's something Travolta remained loyal to, then surely it's his distinctive, sad look. Ever since I saw him the first time appearing in "Saturday Night Fever" (ages ago), he uses that sad expression. It always looks as if he's going to burst out in tears. And the movie"The Forger" is substantively perfect for retrieving that typical facial expression at the right time. A film about a convicted forger who turned his back at his former profession. And at the same time he's a concerned father who would do anything to be with his son the short time that's left. And that's where this movie fails a bit. Does the emphasis lie on the father-son relationship or was it the intention to make a crime story? The final result is a mix of these two, with the result that both aspects feel like semi-finished.

Raymond J. Cutter (John Travolta) is a notorious forger of art works and is about to be released earlier because of a deal with a thug called Keegan (Anson Mount). In this way he can spend some time with his son Will (Tye Sheridan), a petite teenager whose future doesn't look so rosy after they've discovered a brain tumor. To say the very least, the relationship between Will and his father isn't too good. Also between Raymond and his father (Christopher Plummer), who took care of Will during Raymond's absence, there are some disputes. The additional problem is that Keegan expects something in return from Raymond, namely forging a valuable, world famous painting from Monet.

Now, I'm not an art expert but I don't think you can forge a Monet painting in such a short time period. I'm sure you don't really need high-tech methods to determine from the outset if the painting hanging on the wall is authentic or recently painted. But my gut feeling says that this aspect of "The Forger" is irrelevant and that it's just used as an entertaining way to introduce the father-son relationship. Would Travolta be a professional dancer in this film, and he and his son had to participate in a renowned competition together (where Travolta could show his famous 70s dance moves once again) this would have yielded the same result. Commercially, the result would probably be disappointing. So we throw in a bit of mystery and crime (where Travolta can demonstrate his tough side again and beat up some bouncers with a baseball bat) to make it more attractive.

Although it looks a lot like a typical movie, at times the acting transcends the average. Especially the moments between father and son are beautifully played with vulnerability and regret getting the upper hand. That it eventually turns into a collaboration between father and son, is a bit far-fetched. Plummer also shines at times and shows he's perfectly suited for a character part. Even Travolta demonstrates that he has more to offer than just watching sad all the time. The loss of his son Jett most likely has something to do with his rendition looking so realistic. Maybe he decided to give this role a try as a therapeutic decision, in order to put a painful period in the past.

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So, deep in the heart of this picture, it's about a man trying to spend more time with his son. It's very touching.

John Travolta overall is good in this movie. He plays an incarcerated art forger who was release from prison early thanks to an old criminal contact who needs him to forge something for him while all the forger wants to do is make up for lost time with his son.

I really like the parts where Travolta's character is preparing for the heist to steel the painting and replace it with his forgery which is where this movie differs from other heist movies as it goes into what it's like to be an art forger.

Reminds me of the Art of steel starring Kurt Russell who like Travolta, I have not seen star in a movie in ages.

Not a bad movie to catch.

I really liked this movie despite the criticism against it. It's a story of men's love, more demonstrative than proclaimed. It's not often we get an honest look into the true bonds across generations. Feminists may disagree, but I see no wrong with celebrating either sex's strengths and shortcomings. It's an honest introspective with a bit of sensationalism for entertainment; I feel it was very tastefully done.

John Travolta's life made him perfect for this role. I won't dwell on it but he is phenomenal without ever being over the top. There wasn't a bad act in the bunch, from leads to support and there are a number of genuinely heartwarming and hilarious moments making this film a top class choice you won't regret seeing.