FAKING IT: Art forgers on film

In Fake Or Fortune? (8pm, BBC1), Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould determine whether artworks are priceless or worthless. Here, we look at some fictional forgers on the big screen… How To Steal A Million (1966) This frothy tale tells of a woman ( Audrey Hepburn) who, with the help of a ‘society burglar’ ( Peter O’Toole, below, with Hepburn), plans to steal back a statue from a Paris museum – because it is a fake sculpted by her art forger grandfather.

The Moderns (1988) Keith Carradine stars in this portrait of the Lost Generation in 1920s Paris. He plays struggling painter Nick Hart who is commissioned to copy three Cezannes. His life becomes more complicated when they’re bought as real masterpieces by the millionaire who is married to Nick’s ex-wife.

Incognito (1997) This John Badham thriller stars Jason Patric (left, with Irene Jacob) as a talented painter who agrees to forge a long-lost Rembrandt – for a price – even though dad Rod Steiger wants him to be a legitimate artist. This is notable for a sequence that is, essentially, a how-to guide to creating a convincing fake.

The Forger (2014) Largely overlooked, this thriller stars John Travolta as a forger who enlists his father ( Christopher Plummer) and his terminally ill son ( Tye Sheridan) to help the mob with a ‘perfect’ heist by copying a Monet. Travolta’s facial hair provides much-needed comic relief.