Vjeran Tomic: The Spider-Man of Paris

In May 2010 five paintings were stolen from the Paris Museum of Modern Art: a Picasso, a Matisse, a Modigliani, a Braque and a Léger. The total value was over a hundred million euros and it was recorded as the largest art theft in French history. The thief climbed into the building. In this documentary the person telling the story is the thief himself: Vjeran Tomic. Jamie Roberts's film puts Tomic on camera directly and also listens to the police who ran the investigation. What is most interesting is Tomic explaining his climbing technique and his way into the museum with complete calm; the alarm system had been broken for weeks, which became a separate inquiry. None of the paintings was found. The man who was storing them told the court he destroyed them out of fear of being caught. Tomic was sentenced to eight years. Who it's for: Viewers who like art-theft documentaries, true crime, and accounts told by the perpetrator. Who it's not for: The film presents the thief as an appealing figure and the weight of the lost works stays in the background. The reenactments are also over-stylised.