[This review was written last year. MONA LISA was recently released on videocassette, and since it had only a limited theatrical release, I thought it might be worth pointing out. People are encouraged to send me more reviews of lesser-known films when they come out on videocassette. -ecl]
MONA LISA
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1986 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: Comedy, drama, anger, crime, social
comment, and love story. It is hard to imagine that this
film really does as much as it does as well as it does.
A very fine script makes this one of the highest quality
and most entertaining films of the year. Struggle a
little with the Cockney accents; the film is worth it.
It has been observed that there are many foreign language films that could do much better at the boxoffice if they were done in English. I think a prime example must be MONA LISA. The film MONA LISA is done in British Cockney without benefit of dubbing or subtitles. Now I don't speak any Cockney but many words are cognates and I can understand enough that I can usually pick up the gist of what is being said. With this linguistic skill, I found MONA LISA to be one of the best films of the summer [of 1986] (second only to A GREAT WALL).
To start with, I am a Bob Hoskins fan from THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY and PBS's showing of the British FLILCKERS series, and to a lesser extent from THE COTTON CLUB. MONA LISA has the feisty Cockney actor at his best as a small-time hood, recently released from prison, who gets a part-time job chauffeuring a prostitute, Simone. She enlists his help to find another prostitute who is missing. the hood, who thought of himself as a bad man before, gets a quick education in the world of prostitution and for once finds himself morally outraged. The plot that ensues is worthy of a Dashiell Hammett novel. People play dirty and rough. And the background has an air of authenticity that Hammett often lacked.
Neil Jordan, who co-wrote the script as well as directed the film, has a good feel for the characters he has created. Hoskins's character is very real, yet funny enough in ways the character intends and does not intend, that he is a real joy to watch. Cathy Tyson, as Simone, really has the mystery that the title implies. This a A GREAT WALL are the must-see films of the summer [of 1986]. Give it a +3 on the -4 to +4 scale. And if you need an interpreter for the Cockney, maybe I'm available. I wouldn't mind seeing the film again.
Mark R. Leeper
ihnp4!mtgzz!leeper
mtgzz!leeper@rutgers.rutgers.edu
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