Movie Review: The Best Offer - Giuseppe Tornatore - Geoffrey Rush.

I Just watched "The Best Offer" a film by Giuseppe Tornatore at the Palace Balwyn cinema, an old art deco movie theatre.  I go there every now and then to eat popcorn, watch an art film, walk along those streets lined with elegant Art Deco, California houses - filled with teak furniture, and stained glass windows - and just chill out and pretend that I'm living a different life. Its a different crowd and different scene from the usual ones I go to.

Anyway, back to the film. I loved it. I give it 8/10. The plot, the set decoration, ... wow, it was really good. I'm a big fan of great decor in films. This one had it in spades. The locations chosen were perfect. And the entry into the rooms - esp. Virgil Oldman (Geoffrey Rush's private room) and the Claire's estate was breathtaking - gorgeous eye candy.

But... I didn't really like Geoffrey Rush's acting. It felt contrived - it felt like poor acting esp in the confrontational scenes. I think Gary Oldman (Tinker, Tailor) would have rendered a superior performance.

Rush's acting just felt unbelievable - like he was just reading through the lines- especially in the 1st half of the film. There lacked a certain compelling reason why this prudish snobbish proud vain intellectual man was going to become obsessed with this fickle mysterious heiress who claimed to have a bunch of old stuff- right from the start. The things which eventually drew him to her seemed so randomly placed that it defied belief.

Gary Oldman has the delicate skill to be able to pull such a feat off. He has that right amount of adroit, urbane coolness that would have fit this role like the key to a lock.

Rush however seems like such a ruffian.  

  Having said that - I liked the end. It was fitting.