Victori: The Truth Just Can't Be One Thing

South Korean artist Victor Victori arrived in the United States in 1972 and gained immediate recognition for his Presidential Mural, which depicted all of the chief executives from Washington through Nixon (who accepted the work into the White House collection in 1973). Victori also gained notice for his portraits of political and business leaders—most notably Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump—and also picked up quick money by doing speedy portraits at shopping malls around the country. Director Michael Melamedoff's documentary focuses on the efforts of Ed Victori, the artist's 25-year-old son, in preparing a 50-year retrospective exhibit of the elder Victori's career output for the 2012 New York Art Expo. Although the younger Victori has no previous connection to the art world—he was a risk management analyst in the financial services world—he's able to channel his no-nonsense business approach to reconnecting with Victori's audience while also bringing in new devotees. But the elder Victori is the true scene stealer here, a man of outwardly eccentric behavior who shrewdly talks about his art (he jokingly apologizes for his “Multiplism” style of depicting multiple facial emotions on the same subject, saying “I'm sorry I didn't paint pretty pictures.”). Presenting a fascinating portrait of an artistic iconoclast and his straight-arrow son, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)