The Object of Beauty

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The Object of Beauty

R

Released Apr 12, 1991

1h 37m

Romance

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

77%

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13 Reviews

36%

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1,000+ Ratings

Residing in an upscale London hotel, Americans Jake (John Malkovich) and Tina (Andie MacDowell) are living a glamorous dream from which they are about to receive a startling wake-up call. It turns out the pair have been spending far beyond their means, and the bill is finally due. In a pinch, they concoct an insurance fraud scheme involving a very valuable sculpture. Then the statue is stolen by a deaf-mute cleaning lady (Rudi Davies), and the couple is shocked to find out it's missing.

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B

Sep 7, 2011

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

By the end of the film, the plot has been worked out to everyone's satisfaction, but the plot isn't really that important. What is important is the ways that people love one another.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 1, 2000

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Dull romantic comedy, whose emptiness and not too likable protagonists keep things static.

Rated: C+

Sep 24, 2008

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Unfolding as a comedy of manners and a morality tale, the film is not preachy and there is no suggestion of redemption. The text may be slight but it's imbued with ambiguity--and entertaining too.

Rated: B-

Sep 17, 2006

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Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

Rated: 1.5/5

Mar 2, 2006

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Jeffrey P B

Really slow story with little in the way of plot intrigue, so complicated a 10 yr old could keep up. McDowell is beautiful, but her acting skills are limited. In the bedroom, when she's mad at Malkovich's character, her attempt at outrage is laughable. I suggest instead of watching this movie, go out and do ... well, pretty much anything is better than watching this.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/23/23

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Banke d

Good character development, good plot, good twist and great ending. What more could you ask for in a movie!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/23/23

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Audience Member

I like this movie a lot, but I would never think to call it a comedy. And it's certainly not a rom-com. I remembered really enjoying it when I first saw it back in the 90s and I recently watched it again. The wardrobe and score are a bit dated (the score sounds like an episode of Seinfeld), but the movie's themes are as relevant as ever.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Audience Member

Sleepy, pretty, elegantishly precarious tale that filled up the morning.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

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Frances H

Not hilarious, but mildly humorous. What I found so ironic is that the object in question was not to me an object of beauty. However, the character I liked the best was the deaf maid, who honestly found it to be so.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/28/14

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Audience Member

Despite Malkovich's usual grandiosity, there is little of worth here as everyone in the film is unlikeable, leaving no one to care about as we passively watch the rich whine over every little thing.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

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Michael Lindsay-Hogg

Director

John Malkovich

Jake

Andie MacDowell

Tina

Lolita Davidovich

Joan

Rudi Davies

Jenny

Joss Ackland

Mr. Mercer

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Synopsis

Residing in an upscale London hotel, Americans Jake (John Malkovich) and Tina (Andie MacDowell) are living a glamorous dream from which they are about to receive a startling wake-up call. It turns out the pair have been spending far beyond their means, and the bill is finally due. In a pinch, they concoct an insurance fraud scheme involving a very valuable sculpture. Then the statue is stolen by a deaf-mute cleaning lady (Rudi Davies), and the couple is shocked to find out it's missing.

Director: Michael Lindsay-Hogg
Screenwriter: Michael Lindsay-Hogg
Production Co: Avenue Pictures Productions, BBC
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 12, 1991, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA): $201.6K
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Surround

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