Continuity mistake: After Max takes a bite of the tomato, the stain on his shirt decreases significantly after just a few shots. (00:18:05)
Audio problem: In the pool, when Max says, "What is it, Major Lawrence, that attracts you to the desert?" we hear his voice, but his lips are not moving. In the next shot, his mouth is now moving. (00:34:30)
Continuity mistake: After Russell Crowe agrees with Didier to clean up the house and pool, a couple of scenes later they are cleaning the pool which is empty, but the pool was filled a day earlier by Marion when Russell was stuck in the pool. The items in the pool are dry, not wet as they would be if the pool was recently drained. (00:47:45 - 00:49:00)
Factual error: In the swimming pool scene from Max and Fanny's childhood, there is a modern inflatable plastic pool chair that would not have been available at that time. (01:42:40)
Continuity mistake: The morning after Max sleeps with Fanny, after she sits on the bed after trying to creep out of the room, a strand of hair is over her eye. The shot cuts to Max, but when the shot cuts back to Fanny, the strand of hair is no longer over her eye without it being touched.
Continuity mistake: Exterior shots of Max's office building show a round tapered building with triangular windows and a circular floor cross section. Interior shots show a standard rectangular building with square windows.
Continuity mistake: The scene of the dinner at Monsieur Duflot's home, was evening. The scene in the kitchen, when Monsieur Duflot told his wife that Max has arrived, you can see through the door daylight. When Max went outside, it was evening again.
Factual error: The scene at south station in Boston is completely wrong. People do not climb down stairs to walk onto a train platform. The shots outside south station are also wrong.
Answer: I think the Van Gogh is really part of his buy-out package from the brokerage. This is the copy which was hanging on the boss' wall, but not the original which the boss kept in the vault.