Art and Craft

The 2014 documentary by Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman is about Mark Landis, who spent thirty years copying works by famous painters and donating them to museums. He never took money; he was never prosecuted for forgery because he made no sale, which creates an odd legal gap. What is most interesting is the attempt to explain Landis's history of mental illness and why he did this: the matter is not money but being accepted. Matthew Leininger, the museum registrar who tracked him for years, forms the second line, and the meeting of the two men is the film's peak. Its limit is that distance from Landis is at times lost. Who it's for: viewers interested in the art world and stories of forgery. Who it's not for: anyone expecting a crime documentary, or wanting a more distanced treatment of mental health.