Ruben Brandt, Collector 2019

As Ruben Brandt embarked on his train journey, he found himself unwittingly entwined with the mystifying world of Velázquez’s Infanta Margarita Teresa. The vivid nightmare that unfolded before him was a stark reminder that even the most unlikely of dreams can be rooted in reality.

Meanwhile, Mimi, an acrobatic thief with a penchant for pilfering, had been hired by the enigmatic crimelord Vincenzo Delangello to steal le Régent Diamant from the Louvre Museum. However, her kleptomania got the better of her, and she ended up sacrificing Cleopatra’s Fan in her desperate bid to escape P.I. Kowalski’s clutches. As she came to terms with her own psychological struggles, Mimi turned to the expertise of psychotherapist Ruben Brandt, renowned for his ability to treat the artistic souls that dwelled within.

Brandt’s unconventional approach to therapy advocated for “possessing” one’s problems in order to conquer them. Mimi seized upon this concept and enlisted the help of Brandt’s other patients - the enigmatic former bodyguard Bye-Bye Joe, thieves Membrano Bruno and Fernando - to steal the Venus of Urbino painting from the Louvre, effectively possessing his problem as a means of conquering it.

As the therapy took hold, Brandt was struck by the method’s efficacy and revealed to Mimi that he suffered from recurring nightmares inspired by twelve other paintings. Seizing upon this revelation, Mimi orchestrated a series of daring heists, traveling the world to pilfer these artworks in her quest to conquer Brandt’s demons.

The press christened the thief “The Collector,” as these precious masterpieces could not be sold on the black market. The insurance company responded by offering a substantial reward for the capture of this enigmatic art thief, while Delangello dispatched P.I. Kowalski to track down Mimi and her cohorts. As the stakes grew higher, Delangello himself became embroiled in the pursuit, driven by his understanding that Mimi was intricately linked to the elusive Collector.

As John Cooper, a seasoned operative with a history of working with subliminal messages for the CIA, delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Brandt’s father, he uncovers a shocking truth: Ruben Brandt, the enigmatic art thief, is none other than his own half-brother. This revelation comes after Cooper’s brutal murder at the hands of mercenary Kris Barutanski, who was hot on Kowalski’s heels as they pursued clues that led them to the Brandt household. It is here that Kowalski discovers a series of subliminal messages embedded in childhood cartoons, a discovery that ultimately leads him to confront his own troubled past.

As Kowalski digs deeper into the world of high-stakes art theft, he finds himself constantly one step ahead of Barutanski and Dangelo’s ruthless hitmen. The stakes are raised when Mimi, Brandt’s accomplice, struggles with her own desires to steal, only to be confronted by a surreal vision in which she is able to resist the urge. Her confidant, Brandt, however, takes on an unsettling form - that of Kowalski himself.

With the final painting, Warhol’s iconic Elvis I and II, set to be stolen in Tokyo, Kowalski uses his cunning and experience to stay one step ahead of the game. He deduces that the target is not just any ordinary work of art but a prized possession for Brandt’s gang. Under the guise of a public performance, they concoct a daring heist, using the audience as unwitting participants in their deception.

As the dust settles on the successful heist, Kowalski finds himself face to face with his half-brother once more. This time, however, it is not a physical confrontation but rather a surreal encounter that blurs the lines between reality and dreamscape. Brandt awakens on a quiet train, surrounded by an art book dedicated to him by his accomplice. The camera then pans out to reveal Kowalski’s reflection staring back at him - a haunting reminder of the complex web of relationships that binds them all together. As the train chugs forward, the camera lingers on a snail making its way slowly across the tracks, a poignant symbol of the slithering pace at which truth and deception can coexist in this world of high-stakes art theft.