This Documentary Really Makes You Look : A Review

by Samantha Shuma

We work throughout our lives to build successful careers. It can be rewarding, but how stable are the towers we have built for ourselves? Can everything come crashing down in an instant? The career of one of the most prominent art sellers and the oldest art gallery in New York came tumbling down as the world discovered their involvement in the biggest fine art scandal in U.S history. This true story about the dealings of fake art is presented in the documentary Made You Look (Barry Avrich, 2020). The use of archival footage and interviews bring the story to life. There is so much interesting information and invaluable details that let you see the bigger picture.

This review contains spoilers for Made You Look, reader discretion advised.

There is a lot of mystery concerning the intention of those involved. Specifically the art dealer, Ann Freedman, who was the middle man between the forger and the art collectors. Between all of those who were interviewed, they believe that Freedman knowingly sold artworks or that she was too gullible to see through the lies. The documentary brings in so many voices on the matter, from those who were directly involved; collectors, Ann herself, Ann’s associates. Also those who were not directly involved, but have looked at the evidence and are giving their own opinions; lawyers, psychologists, art critics. None of them have enough evidence to prove they are right or wrong. Having this many voices gives the audience something to think about, providing so many perspectives to explore and create their own opinion on the matter. This documentary has given us the tools to critically think about the scandal, while also not giving us enough to truly lean one way or another. This lack of catharsis keeps us from ending the story in our minds, making the events and those involved linger far after the credits have ended. 

The different perspectives that have gone into creating Made You Look are just one element that illustrates the scope of this film. From the interviews, locations and research, there is so much enthralling information. There is education beyond the scandal, we get interesting moments where industry professionals talk about how paintings are authenticated, going as far as doing forensic work on the painting’s pigments. Seeing how far one has to go to have a painting authenticated, it is understandable that fake paintings could have been believed to be real. Considering locations, the filmmakers leave no stone unturned to find answers. They go so far as to track down the artist that forged the works in China, with the painter’s wife coming to the door wondering how they (the documenters) found her address. The amount of hard work and detail that has gone into this documentary is astonishing, and it further enforces how important a scandal like this can be.

While there are many people involved in this film, the more you hear, the more you see the lack of unity in the art collecting community. With everyone having their own opinions and believing themselves to be in the right, no conclusions will ever be made. None of them, besides Ann Freedman, give into the fact they made mistakes. There would always be some detail that would put the blame back onto Freedman (or Glafira, the provider of the forged paintings). This is also prevalent in the cinematography, where each shot is presented in a new way and those who are interviewed are never filmed in the same location. It seems that the filmmakers went to those being interviewed (shooting in their offices/homes) rather than inviting them to a set or single location. All the interactions feel separate, showing how these people never come together. This lack (and seeming reluctance) of meeting each other shows that this lack of unity will never be solved while they are reluctant to come together.

Made You Look is a documentary that gets you invested in what is going on. You learn about what is going on, what has happened, and what the opinions are on what went down. There is extensive information in terms of interviews, research and archival footage, and all of it is presented in an appealing and comprehensive way. More than just learning about the scandal, there is a gained understanding and appreciation for art collecting and art authentication. the documentary caught my attention right away and kept me engaged all the way through. Even for those who are not usually interested in documentaries, Made You Look is worth a watch. ​