La mejor oferta

This is, by far, my most favorite movie of this year! I've always been a Geoffrey Rush fan, but in this movie, I've seen a very special Rush who, by the way his on screen persona goes thru a life changing metamorphosis, creates a real, day-to-day living among us man with real life personal fears, heartbreaking disillusions and self rediscovering. He makes us care for the very rigid and robotic Virgil Oldman in a way that surprises the senses. He is, in the beginning, a character who most people would find repelling by his uncomfortable attitude and bossy ways. But, as the movie proceeds, he is changed by this peculiar and frightful young woman who has a way of bringing him up, and crushing him down within minutes in their dialog. I must say that director Tornatore wrote this amazingly beautiful story with a golden pencil, I'm sure. This is not another love story. It's a life story, set in the world of Arts, where there's more to discover behind the colors of paintings and the still faces of sculptures than meets the eye. As the movie comes to an end, you will face a difficult task: to be thankful that such a story made it to the big screen, or to desire that it would've remain only in the writer's mind and heart. I give it a full 10, with no regrets. Awaiting more from Tornatore-Rush team! They get along pretty well I see.

Interesting and enthralling picture with stirring drama , ravishing cinematography and moving musical score . An epic story of a man who could do anything , except be ordinary . A story centered on an eccentric auctioneer , a great art lover , and his obsession with a heiress/collector . As the successful auctioneer called Virgil Oldman (Geoffrey Rush) becomes deeply passionate about a mysterious woman called Claire (Sylvia Hoakes) who suffers agoraphobia . Meantime , the fine art expert Virgil along with his younger friend , Robert (Jim Sturgess) , attempt to remake an ancient automaton .

Colorful and moving film dealing with a solitary man who punches drunk love with a strange girl who resides at an Italian villa only attended by a handy man . The flick relies heavily on the complex relationship between an older man and a younger woman , but this does not get bored or spoils the tale . This captivating picture contains drama , intrigue , plot twists and nostalgia completely wrapped in an enjoyable love story between a lone winner and a locked girl . The story is narrated with great sense and sensibility , the intelligent screenplay was written by Giuseppe Tornatore himself . Slightly underrated but excellent all the same time , the picture is both , enjoyable and entertaining , but overlong . Magnificent performance from Geoffrey Rush as virtuoso auctioneer who has never set his heart on real love , Jim Sturgess as his best friend and Sylvia Hoakes as the gorgeous as well as rare girl . Good acting from remaining cast , just like : Donald Sutherland , Dermot Crowley and Philip Jackson . Glowing cinematography in colorful scenarios and splendidly photographed by Flavio Zamarion who reflects marvelously the elegant restaurants , apartments , paintings , auction hall and many other things . Rousing and moving score musical by the veteran master and prolific Ennio Morricone who achieved a deserved David Di Donatello .

The picture was very well directed by Giuseppe Tornatore and won six David Di Donatello awards , including Best Film and Best Director . Tornatore made other similarly attractive films , including good actors , such as : the excellent ¨Cinema Paradise¨ with Philippe Noiret , ¨Malena¨ with Monica Belucci , ¨ The star maker¨ with Sergio Castellito , ¨Legend of 1900¨ or ¨The Legend of the Pianist on the Ocean¨ with Tim Roth , and ¨Baaria¨ with Raoul Bova ; being his English-language debut feature titled ¨The professor¨ with Ben Gazzara . ¨The best offer¨ rating : Better than average , well worth watching for exceptional cinematography , first-rate acting and wonderful score .

"The Best Offer" is an unusual, stylish movie with a clever story.

From the beginning we sense there is a mystery at its heart, and indeed, it keeps you wondering right to the end.

I wouldn't give away too much of the plot and spoil the enjoyment for anyone discovering it for the first time, however there are other things to enjoy about "The Best Offer" other than the twists and turns of the story.

Geoffrey Rush plays Virgil Oldman, a successful art connoisseur and auctioneer who is asked to evaluate and sell the estate of Claire Ibbetson (Sylvia Hoeks), a reclusive young heiress who has not left her home for years. Virgil is a man of epicurean taste, who also has some carefully guarded issues regarding his near worship of beautiful women, which has manifested itself in an impressive private collection of paintings of women through the ages.

As he begins to catalogue the Ibbetson estate, we realise that the artefacts he uncovers and the growing relationship with his strange young client touch not only his vanities but also probe his phobias and fantasies.

This is a film of many layers. We get an insider view of a world of wealth, privilege and a taste, but we also get an intimate look at Virgil Oldman; we see beyond the aloof, cool exterior to the man of deeply repressed vulnerabilities - it is a thoughtful performance by Geoffrey Rush.

There is a great deal of artwork shown in the film including a couple of portraits by a fictional artist named Jansky, supposedly of great value, and important to the plot. Paintings that receive great reverence in movies are sometimes a bit of a let down when they appear on the screen, often being simply retouched photos ("Laura") or just badly executed works that show the producers had little taste or knowledge of art.

That is not the case here, the filmmakers obviously went to some trouble to commission paintings from a very good artist (Russian artist Katerina Panikakova according to one source) and the interesting-looking portraits fit perfectly into the superb look and feel of the whole film.

"The Best Offer" is an Italian production, and the love of art and beauty lends an Italian sensibility to the whole thing. Adding to the atmosphere is the distinctive Ennio Morricone score.

Although the Mamet-esque ending brings the drama to a logical enough conclusion, like many films, the journey is the most satisfying aspect of "The Best Offer" - even if, sadly, it only reinforces the notion that there is no fool like an old fool.

Great movies have the power to make you think and this movie had me thinking for so long I couldn't sleep on the night I saw it. It is a tremendous film with a deeply unsettling message and even now, 24 hours after seeing it I am haunted by the end.

It's a fairy story and nightmare rolled into one. It's not what happens that's important it's how it happens. the story is great but the plot is even better.

Forget the bad reviews and make up your own mind. If you subscribe to the notion that Life imitates Art or Art imitates Life go see it. You won't be disappointed.

I still can not describe my state of mind at the end of the film, a mixture of devastating feelings that left me breathless, a state of mind that only the greatest movies are able to leave, and this is one of those movies ! Inside there is so much stuff to talk about that in a comment like this is highly simplistic! If you love art, psychology, suspense, love stories, in short, if you love life, this movie will surprise you. A great cast of characters and works of art (TONS!) complete the work and make it an unmissable, different from all the other great movies of Tornatore. Beware then by those who want to associate this film with a film of Hitchcock because it means dismantle and destroy the film, this film is much more! Thrilling is only one small part of a masterpiece of international cinema! Absolutely a must see!