TIFF 2019: Lyrebird

Lyrebird tells the true story of failed Dutch artist Han van Meegeren (played by Guy Pearce), who is accused after World War II of having collaborated with the Nazis by selling stolen art to them. Claes Bang plays the Dutch resistance fighter working with the Canadian/Allied forces who sets out to bring him to justice, though what that entails changes as the story progresses. The painting at the centre of the plot is a recently-discovered work by Vermeer, which brought back memories of Tim's Vermeer, a film I saw in 2013 at my first TIFF festival (and which I still highly recommend!).

The film really held my interest, with its look at post-war Holland (scenes of some of the ruins were impressive), and a steady supply of humour throughout. I think it was a pretty good film, with Pearce's performance the highlight.


TIFF 2019 Overview