The Best Offer

Screenwriter/director Tornatore is best known for his nostalgic "Cinema Paradiso," which won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 1990. But The Best Offer is completely different in style and tone; it’s dark instead of light, a psychological thriller of sorts, only with Virgil’s heart and orderly life in peril instead of his life.

Between its erotic underpinnings and increasingly preposterous third-act reveals, the film could easily pass for middle-grade Hitchcock. Since its premise is that forgeries can still have value, that’s a high compliment.

Tornatore’s ideas about art, trust and intimacy are curious, even if they do not quite click.

Though it begs for a little lightening up, a moment of irony, a wink at the audience, this dead-serious fairy tale about a mysterious young woman (and a phantom automaton straight out of Hugo) is worth watching for Geoffrey Rush’s sensitive, never pandering performance.

The fully committed Rush, at least, commands our constant attention, and no movie with a kookier-than-usual Ennio Morricone score (dig those staccato-chanting chorines!) could ever be a total waste of canvas.

Filmed in what you might call the international hotel style, Tornatore's idiotic premise is entertaining if you don't inspect it too carefully, or look for anything beneath the portentousness.

Strangely old-fashioned in its construction and requiring a Golden Gate-level feat of engineering to achieve the suspension of disbelief necessary to unironically enjoy it.

I am not a connoisseur of Italian cinema, but I was attracted to this film because it deals with works of art. And I am glad that I dedicated my time to it, as I discovered a truly remarkable film. The story centers on the figure of Virgil Oldman, auctioneer and collector, misanthropic and maniac who, suddenly, is contacted by a mysterious heiress, eager to evaluate and eventually auction off all the valuable stuff in his family home. It turns out that she suffers from a severe agoraphobia, so she never leaves the house nor lets herself be seen by anyone, a fact that leaves Oldman more and more fascinated. At the same time, the old auctioneer finds a series of mechanical pieces in the house, which he thinks belong to a disappeared baroque automaton that, if recovered, would have an absurdly high value. Everything seems clear and transparent in this film, brilliantly directed by Giuseppe Tornatore... but the film dextrously hides its secrets and is not as predictable as it seems, although it is left to guess, as the end approaches. For the puritans, it may shock thanks to the **** and obsessive passion allowed by the old man for a woman of age to be his daughter, or even granddaughter. But the fact is that Italian filmmakers address this type of passion quite a lot in their films and the story works wonderfully. In the background, there is a sub-plot involving a baroque automaton and the lack of scruples of an art collector, who is interested in buying valuable works at prices well below the value. Geoffrey Rush is a veteran actor and excels in the role of the auctioneer. He knows how to be cool and aloof, arrogant and elegantly hieratic, and manages to gradually deconstruct it as the character's feelings change. It is worth watching this film to see the extraordinary work of this actor. Beside him, the young Sylvia Hoeks, whom I did not know and is excellent, in a complex role that requires a lot of voice work (she does not appear for a considerable time, and we only heard her voice) and a beautiful face. In the dim light, the equally hardened Donald Sutherland is impeccable in a supporting role. Jim Sturgess also does a remarkable job. Technically, it is an equally very good film. Although it is discreet, and allows the history and work of the actors to have space to stand out, the interest in production values is high, starting with a magnificent cinematography, guided by Flavio Zamarion. With an artist's eye, he knew how to make the most of the beauty of the paintings and works of art, as well as the grandeur of the scenery, the filming locations, the landscapes, and create a film where visual beauty abounds and fills the eye. Light and color also work very well, giving the film an additional elegance. The choice of filming locations and works of art that were used in the film was, in a word, judicious, and the soundtrack, signed by master Ennio Morricone, is truly one of the best he has composed in recent times.

it has good moments and intriguing scenes however i think its stretch out, this movie could easily be 1:30hr and I'll probably would give it 7/10 if It was.nonetheless worth giving it a try

The plot could have been interesting, but the realisation of the twist is very easily predictable - I found Sturgess's performance better than Rush's or Sutherland's, the former because of lack of passion and the latter merely for the tiny screentime. Not many particular directorial choices as one would expect from Tornatore, but the visual style is refined and meticulously prepared. Not much of a thriller in the literal meaning of the term, but all in all not a horrible film.

A complete con;not by the film plot but by the director. So predicable from the outset. If you watched this and thought it was in any way mysterious, I feel sorry for you. My son and I could see right through it from the direction to the plot ending- a complete waste of our time and good acting, apart from Jim Sturgess, who was just awful and gave the whole plot away from the beginning.

It starts as an interesting story but it becomes more and more dull as it advances. It is just a very naive , long , slow and awfully predictable film.