Directed by:
Giuseppe TornatoreScreenplay:
Giuseppe TornatoreCinematography:
Fabio ZamarionComposer:
Ennio MorriconeCast:
Geoffrey Rush, Jim Sturgess, Sylvia Hoeks, Donald Sutherland, Philip Jackson, Dermot Crowley, Kiruna Stamell, Liya Kebede, Caterina Capodilista, Gen Seto (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Virgil Oldman is a solitary, cultured man whose reluctance to engage with others, especially women, is matched only by the dogged obsessiveness with which he practices his profession of antiques dealer. He's never been close to another human being, not even Robert, his only friend – a young, skillful restorer of mechanical devices from every era. The day he turns sixty-three, Virgil receives a phone call from a young woman who asks him to handle the disposal of some family works of art. But when the time comes for his first site visit, the girl fails to appear, nor, for various reasons, is she present for the taking of the inventory or for the transportation and restoration of the pieces.
More than once Virgil is tempted to bow out of what appears to be nothing but a bothersome mess, but on each occasion, the mysterious young woman, locked in her own obsessional world, convinces him to continue. And with this, the old antique dealer's life begins to take an unexpected turn. It is Robert who shows him, step-by-step, how to win the heart of a young woman who is afraid of the world and, caught in the middle of this puzzling game of chess, Virgil soon finds himself enveloped by a passion that will transform his grey existence forever. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (10)
I wasn't attracted to the film at first (art, drama, romance are not my thing), but Giuseppe Tornatore is awesome, and there is little that disappoints in his direction. The film has charming sets, antiques and furniture, decent actors and although it’s slower, the final twist is unbeatable. 80%
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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.
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I like movies like this one. I like it when the movie is playing with me and I love stories that can knock me off my feet. And I feel like I have to praise the things that all the users here criticized in their reviews. The director shot a beautiful, mystery story that’s amazing in the very essence of its premise. Geoffrey Rush puts on an acting class and the director Tornatore shows some excellent filmmaking craft and Ennio Morricone wraps it all into some amazing music. It almost seems that this movie cannot go wrong because it was handled by the best in the business. And if it really does look like it was, it makes me all the happier that the movie was shot in Prague of all places. I mean the finale in the Mother of Cities is as magical as it can be. It’s a beautiful and border-line fantastic experience that made me feel really strange afterwards.
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A very, very interesting and in a way mysteriously engaging conversational drama. The excessive running time and the final minutes are a bit of a problem, the film drags a bit after the shocking and breathtaking twist is revealed and there’s no literal explanation, but otherwise it's a hell of a suffocating load of dialogue with great actors, unexpected plot developments and one of the biggest and most unexpected twists in the history of cinema. A very fine piece of work.
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What a phenomenal film fake. It's not about the finale or the structure of the screenplay, whose twist is predictable from halfway through. Focus on the captivating camera, life the themes and truths, Geoffrey Rush's performance, and the pure emotions. A film about love with all its positives and negatives, it only matters whether it works out or not. And at the same time, it points out that nothing may be as it initially seems. Absolutely complex, a masterpiece.
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