My Rating: 3.82/4 (aka An original movie that you should probably see)

One line summary: The children of an aging British artist hire a forger to finish some of his work for their inheritance.

The Deets: Don’t believe any of the labels attached to this film as a thriller or black comedy – it’s not really any of those things, and as Soderbergh even said, he and screenwriter Ed Solomon were not concerned about genre when they conceived it. And that is very true. While the premise may nudge us to think this is a story about forgery, it’s really a multi-faceted narrative about an artist (the masterful Ian McKellan as Julian Sklar) grappling with his life, his loves, and his creative work – how he identifies himself while rejecting the external world’s artificial constructs. Enter a younger artist (played by the striking Michaela Coel) trying to find her own way, grappling with her own pain and fears, but able to truly see this older artist more clearly than he does for himself. The result is a movie with many layers, like the floors of the townhome where Sklar resides and “hides” many of paintings. And while this genre-bender may not be a thriller like many of Soderbergh’s prior movies, its payoff is quite beautiful. Oscar-winner Soderbergh proves that he’s really one of the most original and bold directors working today, staying true to his indie roots, and his breadth of artistic choices is proof.

Perfect for: If you’re a Soderbergh fan, if you love to watch great acting, and especially if you’re into what drives creatives to keep creating.

Where to watch: As of this writing, it’s still only in theaters, but it will soon be available on streaming.

Food pairing: Wine and cheese and crackers and maybe some small biscuits with butter.