Directed by: Juliusz Machulski
Starring: Robert Więckiewicz, Borys Szyc, Kamila Baar, Marcin Dorociński, Łukasz Simlat, Masakazu Miyanaga
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Juliusz Machulski’s filmography gives the impression that making heist films is almost a distinct craft, reserved for specialized cinematic artisans. Among his works, the Polish director made a sequel to the caper comedy Vabank (1981). Twenty years later instead the filmmaker decided to create a follow-up to Vinci (2004) a robbery comedy on the theft of Lady with an Ermine, a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci housed at the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow. This time around, Machulski brought Robert Więckiewicz—who portrayed the art thief Cuma, the protagonist of the original film—on board to co-write the screenplay.
The result is, in many ways, a conservative sequel, with Leonardo da Vinci’s painting once again occupying a central role in the narrative. The story picks up two decades after the events of the first film, and several familiar faces return: Cuma’s former accomplice Julian (Borys Szyc); the painter and art forger Magda Borys (Kamila Baar); and the law enforcement duo Marcin Kudra (Łukasz Simlat) and Commissioner Łukasz Wilk (Marcin Dorociński).
Cuma now lives off his earnings in a villa in Málaga, Spain, together with his wife Carmen, when a messenger from Poland approaches him with a proposal for another heist—to steal a mysterious artifact in his native land. Although tempted by the thrill of proving he’s still a capable thief, he initially refuses. However, he eventually returns to Kraków to accept the job only to discover that the job has already being assigned to a pair of younger thieves. Cuma doesn’t lose heart and tries to reconnect with his network of contacts to shed light on the details of the heist and sabotage the plan.
Machulski and Więckiewicz bring a distinct Asian influence to this sequel, reflecting Krakow’s enduring fascination with the Far East—a cultural curiosity that has persisted for over a century. This is exemplified by the return of Kazu Tanaka, now playing a more prominent role in the narrative. He is portrayed by Masakazu Miyanaga, a Japanese artist residing in Poland, whose work also features in the film. It is also no coincidence that Julian, who is attempting to repair his relationship with his wife Magda and their son, is the head of security at the Manggha Museum, an institution devoted to Japanese art and culture.
Though the film’s attempts to mislead the audience occasionally feel forced, its originality lies in the suspense—not in how the heist unfolds, but in what’s being targeted. Is it once again Lady with an Ermine? Could it be Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man, lost from the Czartoryski collection during the Nazi occupation? Or something else entirely? The film also highlights how much Kraków has changed over the past two decades—a city that, despite the increase in tourists and fireworks, has preserved its unique character. More importantly, Vinci 2 finds Michalski back in form, over a decade after the cinematic misstep of Embassy (2013).
Film Reviewed by Giuseppe Sedia
Published by Kino Mania on August 14, 2025