Review of My Kid Could Paint That (2007) by Matthew F — 06 Oct 2007

[i]My Kid Could Paint That[/i] explores extensively two controversial questions: Is modern art really art or a giant con game meant to fool people out of their money? And maybe more importantly, Where does one draw the line between nourishing a child?s talent and exploitation? While both are interesting questions and worth addressing, I feel that Bar-Lev bungled the second a little bit with his obsessive self-reflection?essentially making the film [i]about[/i] the making of the film in the second half.

Bar-Lev clearly has a guilt complex when he realizes he?s feeding the media sensation that has caused such detriment to the family of this child ?Prodigy?, and can?t get beyond it to focus on what is on the other side of the camera.

He even goes so far as to provide his own running video diary as he?s driving home after a shoot, intimately describing his thoughts on the matter. Regardless of this, however, the rest of the film is strong and provocative, asking lots of questions that is sure to spurn hefty debate on the ride home.