"Plucked" is a documentary about a real life crime...the theft of a valuable Stradivarius violin in Milwaukee about a decade ago. While this might not sound that interesting, filmmaker Joel Van Haren did a good job infusing the story with excitement--and having a charismatic sociopath starring in it helped.
Following the film at the Philadelphia Film Festival, Van Haren was on hand to discuss his project. I actually found this more interesting than the movie itself, as it was obvious the filmmaker was charmed by the thief. This isn't 100% surprising, as sociopaths ARE often quite engaging and easy to like....after all, this enables them to take advantage of others so easily! As for me, I had an opposite reaction....as I have a lot of experience working with sociopaths (now called 'antisocial personalities' by mental health professionals)...and instead of being captivated, I am annoyed because I know they are trying to game me....and the guy who stole the violin certainly knows how to manipulate folks!
Following the film at the Philadelphia Film Festival, Van Haren was on hand to discuss his project. I actually found this more interesting than the movie itself, as it was obvious the filmmaker was charmed by the thief. This isn't 100% surprising, as sociopaths ARE often quite engaging and easy to like....after all, this enables them to take advantage of others so easily! As for me, I had an opposite reaction....as I have a lot of experience working with sociopaths (now called 'antisocial personalities' by mental health professionals)...and instead of being captivated, I am annoyed because I know they are trying to game me....and the guy who stole the violin certainly knows how to manipulate folks!
