My Kid Could Paint That

Starring: Marla Olmstead, Laura Olmstead, Mark Olmstead, Michael Kimmelman, Amir Bar-Lev
Directed by: Amir Bar-Lev
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Documentary
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Four year old Marla Olmstead ignites a media storm with her stunning, magnificent paintings. As art collectors around the world marvel at her genius, some begin to question whether she truly created her paintings unaided.

Review:

Tim: This movie blew me away. I can't think of another movie I have ever seen that left me wanting to know the truth so badly. I was amazed and stunned at the paintings I saw, attributed to a four year old girl. I don't know a great deal about art, but I love it, and have seen some of the most amazing paintings around the world. The art created by this little girl was truly beautiful. As I watched this brilliant documentary unfold, I found myself wanting this to be true. When some ultimately question the validity of the Olmstead's claims, I felt like a small boy who is suddenly told how his favorite magic trick is nothing more than sleight of hand. This movie effected me on multiple emotional levels. That is an achievement.

This documentary works because it tells a beautiful, hopeful, awe-inspiring story. And, just at the very moment when the story seems too good to believe, we learn that it may actually be too good to be true. I was stunned by this revelation and spent the rest of the movie trying to figure out the truth for myself. Director Amir Bar-Lev does a wonderful job of observing these people, as he himself struggled with whether to believe them or not. He expertly balances evidence both for and against Marla's miraculous ability. I thought this was terrific. However, there are a few moments where Bar-Lev lets his movie get away from him. There were some questionable inclusions (including the hotel hallroom scene where Marla tells her father that her little brother painted one of the pictureS) that unfairly paint one outcome as more likely. I didn't like how Bar-Lev included some scenes, obviously taken out of context. These moments felt like he strayed from objective filmmaking, going for cheap sensationalism instead. These few scenes hurt the movie greatly.

I am not the biggest documentary genre fan, but I love these movies when they can tell a good story. Regardless of whether we will ever know the truth or not, My Kid Could Paint That tells a wildly entertaining story. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and it impacted me on a deeper level than most movies. As I mentioned, this film could have been truly brilliant, but a few major flaws and weak moments hurt the movie. Still, this is a good documentary and one of the most memorable, impactful movies I have seen in a few years.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



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