The Best Offer

I am sincerely sorry for the staff of that dive of a Prague beer bar Pivnice U Milosrdných; I can just see how tourists look in there curiously and then wonder “where has that sumptuous, stylish interior from that great but really depressing movie gotten to?" And I hope that Polanski sees it (the movie, not the beer) to learn in just half an hour what an adaptation of Club Dumas should look like. (2013-07-06)

The beauty of hidden paintings hanging on the walls, the increasing tension of art auction participants in proportion to the rising price of their sought-after treasures to enrich their collections, the mystery of artifacts from old mechanisms, and above all, the secrets that people hide behind the tightly guarded mask of their faces and carefully controlled emotions, behind the facade of their status and social relationships. Tornatore plays with his protagonist as well as with his viewers. Although I roughly figured out where the game was heading halfway through, surprisingly, I didn't detract anything from the exceptionally high final impression. It's worth watching the film for the top craftsmanship, Tornatore's perfectionism, the fascinating performance of veteran actor Geoffrey Rush, the atmosphere of a neglected noble palace, and the process of discovering what lies beneath the layer of dust, old colors, and words. The film is actually a story about (self)love, late realization, and late regrets. And last but not least, it's also about hope, because as we know, hope dies last. I had the opportunity to watch The Wolf of Wall Street and this film in one day, and the slow-paced Tornatore triumphed emotionally over Scorsese. Overall impression: 90%. I would immediately go to Prague to see if Virgil is still waiting there... (2014-02-21)

Well... And on my imaginary list of movie theatrical experiences of 2013 I can tick the box "Absolutely great NEW film with no special effects or action". I understood the protagonist played by the excellent Geoffrey Rush as well as any character in a long time and that's probably why the ending affected me so much. Morricone's amazing music, an unexpected but magical trip to Prague, and a well thought out script. Just another treat from Giuseppe Tornatore.__P.S. I've never seen such a huge list of images used in any end credits.__P.P.S. The less you know about the plot beforehand, the better. (2013-09-25)

It's a shame about the predictability in the last half hour, because there's really only one possible conclusion after the room (room with a capital R) is revealed. The first ninety minutes, however, are brilliant in terms of building the mysterious atmosphere, aided of course by Morricone's strangely minimalist yet perfectly fitting soundtrack. Despite the final predictability, however, this is an interesting contribution to the genre that mystery drama lovers should definitely not miss. (2019-04-28)

Like his hero, Tornatore is a bit of a museum exhibit, to whom the information age must seem like a deceitfully wounding enemy and film as an intimate room of certainty. Emotionally, the film stopped affecting me (intentionally) in the excessive second third, and whilst the twist is well thought out and well prepared, the conclusion is unnecessarily long and literal. Excellent actors (the duets of Rush - Sturgess / Rush - Sutherland are decorative), visually, it’s a great splendor (the reference to Sorrentino is not accidental - he and Tornatore still believe in the power of unnecessary gestures), and the musical background is perhaps too sentimental. A pleasant museum of nostalgia, folly and defensive detachment from reality. I liked the motifs of the thirteenth room, the automaton, and the truthful dwarf the most in this somewhat mechanical metaphor of uncertainty, creativity, and destructiveness of emotion. (2013-09-11)