What’s It About
An ex-CIA operative is thrown back into a dangerous world when a mysterious woman from his past resurfaces. Now exposed and targeted by a relentless killer and a rogue black ops program, he must rely on skills he thought he left behind.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
The Painter is a movie about ex-CIA agent Peter Barrett, played by Charlie Weber, who’s turned to painting after a tragedy splits him from his wife, Elena. And since January is notoriously known for bad releases, The Bricklayer, which also features an ex-CIA agent protagonist, was released the same day. In The Painter, Barrett’s peaceful life is shattered when a teenager named Sophia (Madison Bailey), who claims to be his daughter, shows up, leading to his home being attacked by heavily armed agents. Barrett’s backstory is filled with clichés. Raised by his nonblood-related father figure, Byrne (Jon Voight), after terrorists killed his family, Barrett becomes a finely tuned killer. The plot thickens when we find out his near-due baby with Elena was shot during a mission gone wrong, driving a wedge between them. The film jumps 17 years ahead, with Barrett living under a pseudonym in the Pacific Northwest, where the action kicks off with Sophia’s arrival. The script is inconsistent, and the story gets overly complex with too many characters and subplots, making it feel overstuffed and underdeveloped. Barrett’s tragic past is revealed early, but the film ignores what happened in the 17 years leading up to Sophia’s appearance. The characters come across as mere plot devices, lacking depth. The dialogue is often flat and laughable, missing any real emotional connection or comic relief. The villains, including the young psychopath “Ghost” (Max Montesi), are lackluster, and the relationships between Barrett, his daughter, and Byrne are unconvincing. The Painter also introduces a top-secret black ops scheme, Project Internship, involving kidnapped children trained to be assassins and a subplot about CIA agents trying to replicate this program by causing forced blindness. However, these plot points feel contrived and fail to add real excitement or intrigue to the film. In terms of performances, none of the actors, not even Jon Voight, can elevate the bland and shallow script. The production design and cinematography are slick and stylish but can’t compensate for the film’s lack of substance. The action sequences don’t come close to the likes of Jason Bourne or Bullit Train, and the film’s attempt to use the characters’ visual and hearing impairments in combat feels like a missed opportunity, serving more as empty characterization in an already convoluted film. Ultimately, The Painter is an uninspired, forgettable movie that fails to deliver palpable thrills or meaningful storytelling. The film becomes monotonous and lazy, with a contrived third act that doesn’t live up to the potential of its premise.
OUR RATING – AN UNINSPIRED 2