The Forger is a drab anaemic crime thriller which waste the talents of its actors and has 'made for pay television' written all over it.

Travolta is art forger Ray Cutter who cuts a deal with some big shots to leave prison early so he can spend time with his son who has terminal cancer. He helps fulfils his bucket list which includes meeting his drug addicted mother.

However for getting released from prison early he has a debt to pay to the gangsters which includes painting a convincing forgery of a Monet painting and switch it with the real one at the Boston museum.

All the time Cutter is watched by the police and he reckons that the gangsters will double cross him somehow. Well that must be the explanation why Travolta looks mournful as he spends little time painting Monet's 'Woman with parasol.'

Christopher Plummer spikes things up as Ray's con man father willing to help out. The film is maudlin and tension free. Even the museum robbery lacks energy.

Raymond Cutter (John Travolta) a painting forger, arranges to get out of jail 9 months early at a very high cost. His criminal associate Keegan (Anson Mount) bribes a judge for his release. As payment Ray must forge a Claude Monet. He is on a time schedule as an art collector is in town and the painting is being shown locally. We discover Ray wanted to get out early was so he could spend some quality time with his son Will (Tye Sheridan) who has an inoperable stage 4 tumor in his head. He tells his son he has three wishes. As a subplot a pretty cop (Abigail Spencer) follows Ray around using him as bait for bigger fish.

Travolta gives us a good performance as a man bonding with his son once again. This crime drama is more about the drama and personal interaction in the Cutter family than the crime.

If you like family values in your movies, you could do much worse than this. And while you might not agree with Travoltas politics or his firm believe in Scientology, this shouldn't matter watching a movie like this. He has fallen, but he can still act. Even if he projects more into some things than necessary.

Still this is a decent, if predictable effort into the Heist foray. We know where it is heading and while only in movies people behave certain ways, there is a bit of switch with the story of a son who has been neglected and has to be won over again. Maybe this will warm your heart (not being sarcastic) to a degree that you'll give this a higher rating