THE PLOT THUS FAR
From the director of Cinema Paradiso comes a romantic thriller with a playful side that proves love is worth bidding on at any price. When a mysterious heiress asks famed but unscrupulous art appraiser and auctioneer Virgil Oldman (Academy Award® winner* Geoffrey Rush) to evaluate her late parents collection yet remains forever unseen behind closed doors, it ignites a spark of curiosity in the normally austere Virgil that soon grows into an all-out obsession. Before long everything in Virgil’s carefully constructed life threatens to come apart as he delves ever further into the world of intrigue surrounding his enigmatic employer. Co-starring Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games) and Jim Sturgess (Cloud Atlas), director Giuseppe Tornatore s THE BEST OFFER is a unique take on a seemingly doomed romance from one of cinema s greatest artists.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“The Best Offer” is a complex thriller about an art appraiser trying to get in the pants of an heiress. While the young lady might not be what she seems, the art dealer doesn’t care and must have her. Invited to her home, the appraiser takes a look at dead parents’ art collection and finds something interesting. Donald Sutherland shows up in a supporting role, but this is Geoffrey Rush’s time to shine. Hell, I haven’t seen the guy sink into a role like this since the 1990s.
Tornatore plays up the love affair with a panache that belongs to Hitchcock. What hurts the film is that the tension is so evenly spread out, that might as well not exist. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not like it would kill anyone. Hell, it might teach Western audiences to appreciate European sensibilities. Yeah, it’s laughable.
The DVD comes with a trailer as the only special feature. The A/V Quality is pretty decent for standard definition. The Dolby 5.1 track is soft and lossy. Still, the transfer looks pretty sharp. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to the curious.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!