Search - Mona Lisa [Criterion Collection] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Not For Children Movie Release: 1986 DVD Release: 03/13/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 44 mins Studio: Criterion Members Wishing: 17 Genres: Drama, Romantic Drama, Crime Drama See Also: Mona Lisa

Bob Hoskins plays George, a tough but basically goodhearted British mob flunky, recently released from prison, where he'd served a term to cover up for his gangster boss (Michael Caine). Still willing to be everyone's doormat, George agrees to act as chauffeur for Simone (Cathy Tyson), a haughty, high-priced call girl. They don't like each other at first, but George begins to fall for her and take a protective interest. She implores him to help her find her only truly friend, a prostitute named Cathy (Kate Hardie). Touched by this devotion, George locates the girl, only to be chagrined to learn that Simone and Cathy are lovers. Hoskins is used and abused by so many people in Mona Lisa that when the worm finally does turn, you feel like cheering--even though it doesn't make him any happier. Director Neil Jordan cowrote this study of underworld mores with David Leland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bob Hoskins - George
Cathy Tyson - Simone
Michael Caine - Mortwell
Robbie Coltrane - Thomas
Kate Hardie - Cathy
Clarke Peters - Anderson

Writer/director Neil Jordan has made many fine movies in his career (as well as plenty of intriguing and worthy misfires) but the exquisite Mona Lisa stands as his crowning achievement. The Criterion Collection, the best DVD house out there, has released the movie in a beautiful widescreen transfer that showcases the movie's dark London underworld perfectly and the audio transfer is clean, well balanced, and free of hiss. This edition also comes with an excellent commentary from Jordan and star Bob Hoskins (who was rightly nominated for an Oscar for his subtle, honest work in the film). Jordan discusses a discarded love scene between Hoskins and Cathy Tyson and though he was correct in editing it out of the picture, it would've been nice to include it, and some other deleted scenes included on the DVD (though such cut scenes were often lost before the advent of digital film editing systems in the 1990s made them so much easier to store and keep track of). Interestingly enough, Michael Caine based his villain on the real neighborhood gangsters of his youth who softly spoke to grown men as if they were children. The softer Caine speaks, the scarier he becomes. Made with an eye towards such subtle details, Mona Lisa is a film to savor again and again -- especially now with this Criterion Collection DVD edition. ~ Nick Dedina, All Movie Guide