Canvas: The Fine Art of Crime

Director Alain Zaloum cowrote the screenplay of Canvas: The Fine Art of Crime with Brenda Newman. Gary Busey plays Ossie Decker, an aspiring artist with a genius for forgery. Decker goes to work for mob functionary John Rhys-Davies, the better to pay off a debt of honor owed by Decker's brother. He involves himself in a scheme to steal rare paintings, then palm off phonies as the genuine article. Eventually wearying of ripping off the art-loving public-and having nearly lost his life on at least one occasion--Decker wants out. But by now, he has painted himself into a dangerously tight corner.