The Best Offer

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Gabriel S Jul 28 From the director of Malèna, Giuseppe Tornatore brings us a film that’s essentially Malèna with the roles reversed—at least when it comes to the romantic duo. The Best Offer is clever and shrewd, but I struggle to accept the protagonist, truth be told. The story follows eccentric auctioneer Virgil Oldman, a brilliant and influential art historian with a touch of charlatanism and a flair for mannerisms. Beneath his polished façade lies a sad truth: Virgil is a lonely man. After being hired to appraise and auction the estate of Claire Ibbetson, a newly minted heiress, Virgil finds himself spiraling into an increasingly difficult situation—his growing infatuation with the mysterious Claire, who, for reasons unknown, never appears in public. The Best Offer moves slowly, its central premise being the gradual development of Virgil and Claire’s relationship until the inevitable, and yes, predictable, final reveal. A secondary plot tries to spice things up: the late Mr. Ibbetson apparently owned a remarkable mechanical piece, which Virgil and his hired assistant Robert attempt to reconstruct, piece by piece. All of this would have landed far better for me if not for one glaring issue: Virgil is clearly somewhere between 65 and 75 years old, while Claire is under 30. Just like in Malèna, where the romantic tension plays out between a woman in her 30s and a boy of about 14, Tornatore once again toys with a Lolita-esque theme that, frankly, I find distasteful. Had the protagonist been in his 40s, I’d say the romance would’ve been far more palatable. Narratively speaking, setting aside that mathematical mismatch, The Best Offer delivers an intriguing plot and, by the end, a clever one. The conclusion is well-crafted and emotionally resonant. If you can overlook the unsettling grandfather-granddaughter dynamic, you’ll find a film that’s sharp and perceptive. See more Mizzo R Mar 24 I love the plot twist of this movie. See more boolean b @boolean Mar 2 Many critics mention the movie's intricate plot wouldn't survive scrutiny but looking back it is easy to see Donald Sutherland (Billy) masterminded the heist with Jim Sturgess (Robert). Billy knew of Oldman's extensive art collection worth several millions, he just didn't know exactly where in his house it was kept. Donald also knew most of it was obtained illegally so Oldman wouldn't be going to authorities to report the theft. He knew of Oldman's love of women and loneliness so breaking his heart was the sure way to get him to open up and that's where Robert comes in, rents the Villa, loads it with rental antiques he knew Oldman would be enticed by, and recruits his ex-gf (perhaps) to impersonate an owner Claire which existed in real life, fakes her passport, recruits a housekeeper... everything is scripted. They track Oldman's every move by placing a GPS tracker in his car. They plant parts of an antque clock to keep him hooked. Certainly far-fetched but plausible See more Jonathan K Jan 11 This film is pretty strange. It keeps cycling through the same patterns, trying to show the repetitive but gradual changes in the story. The storytelling device of having the main character recount the events of his day and then get advice from his assistant is pretty hokey. And let’s not forget the very creepy age gap -- definitely something that would raise eyebrows now in the post-"Me Too" era. Maybe that should have clued me in that something was up. The tone is odd too. It’s kind of eerie, like something’s not quite right, but not in a way that makes you realize <i>there actually is</i> something wrong, just in a "what am I watching?" kind of way. If you know there's a twist coming, it helps. Otherwise, it just feels a bit silly. I really wish I’d realized it was going to be a twisty little psychological thriller -- although "thriller" is probably a stretch. It's kind of dull until the end. Also, the story itself is pretty unbelievable. I mean, how could he be so duped by this (seemingly) mentally ill girl? The whole thing feels a bit too much, impossible that the accomplices would get every step exactly right. Sure, buddy, sure. So why am I giving this 3 stars? Because it's oddly memorable and has stuck with me. Maybe it's the weird tone, but it feels pretty unique. And I think had I known something was rotten in the state of wherever-this-took-place then I would have liked it so much more. See more hardy c 08/21/2024 I have watched enough film to know the "tell" that gives the plot twist away. When Rush showed the girl his collection of paintings I knew she was going to steal them all. In the end just another May-December pseudo-romance that meanders too much. Still, Rush always delivers. See more Munkhchimeg T 08/10/2024 Mysterious and mesmerizing movie. Wanted to see the ending during the film. See more Read all reviews

The Best Offer

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