Published via Ecency

(source: tmdb.org)

A lot of things can happen in couple of years, but the proper magnitude of those changes is usually noticed by people who were absent when they happened. This is something experienced by the protagonist at the beginning of Mona Lisa, 1986 British crime drama directed by Neil Jordan. George (played by Bob Hoskins) is small time London gangster who has spent seven years in prison and, who, upon release, can’t hide being surprised how different things are. His old neighbourhood has many black inhabitants, his daughter Jeannie (played by Zoë Nathanson), with whom he tries to reconnect, is now almost adult while his old associates now use strange invention called pager. His old boss Denny Mortwell (played by Michael Caine) apparently advanced so high in crime hierarchy that he can’t see such lowly street soldier personally, but he nevertheless arranges a job for George. He is to serve as chauffeur for Simone (playe by Cathy Tyson), high priced call girl. At first, their relationship doesn’t go well, because George’s lack of manners and fashion sense are at odds with Simone, who operates in most luxurious West End hotels and whose clientele demand high class. Two of them, however, gradually patch up their differences and George gradually, but inevitably falls in love with mysterious woman. After a while, she asks him to help in personal matter and locate Cathy (played by Kate Hardie), young prostitute with whom she has worked on the street. George agrees and begins increasingly dangerous quest that would bring him in the seedy underbelly of London strip clubs, peep shows, pornography, teenage prostitutes, their violent pimps, depraved sadistic customers as well as blackmail scheme that involves his boss.

Produced by Handmade Films, George Harrison’s company best known for Monty Pythons’s films, Mona Lisa is widely considered as the classic of British cinema. It was the third and, arguably, the best film in the career of Irish director Neil Jordan who would later make many successful and respected films, but never achieve greatness that he achieved here. Mona Lisa is clearly inspired by another great film, Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, with which it shares protagonist in the form of professional driver who battles pimps. Jordan, however, takes a different approach, and not only by transferring the plot from mean ultra-violent streets of 1970s New York to 1980s London, which is presented as cesspool of greed, depravity and corruption. While Scorsese’s film was ultimately nihilistic and cynical, Mona Lisa tries to offer some silver lining in the form of sympathetic protagonist whose reasoning might not be the best, but whose heart is in the right place and who ultimately wants to do the right thing. Jordan and his co-writer David Leland achieve that effect also by combining different genres – heart-warming drama, exciting crime thriller and film noir (in which the femme fatale is not only dark-haired but actually dark-skinned). There is even bit of social commentary on Thatcher’s Britain where the increasing class differences affect even its criminal underworld, with the top becoming indistinguishable from aristocracy and nouveau riche yuppies, while lower ranks like George suffer in poverty and humiliation. Jordan is aided by cinematography by Roger Pratt which effectively portrays bright-coloured but seedy world of London sex industry and creates sharp contrast with glamour and cleanliness of high class apartments, hotels and fancy resort of Brighton that looks lovely even on cloudy day. Music is also very good in this film, although “In Too Deep” by Genesis, song that became great hit, is somewhat at odds with classic title songs by Nat King Cole with lyrics that in many ways explain protagonist’s view of enigmatic woman he becomes obsessed with.

Mona Lisa is often seen as the best film in the career of its main actor. Although Bob Hoskins became worldy famous as the protagonist of Hollywood blockbuster Who Framed Roger Rabbit, it is the role of George that confirmed his status as one of the best screen actors in British and world cinema. While the character on surface looks similar to the one played in The Long Good Friday half a decade earlier, it is completely different from the overconfident gang boss on the verge of merging his criminal empire with legitimate business. George is much simpler and less successful man, burdened with visible lack of education and finesse, prone to short temper and capable of violence, but ultimately a person an average audience would root for. This is due to scenes that shows George’s humanity while trying to re-connect with daughter he haven’t seen for years or in his noble, but ultimately failed attempt to rescue teen prostitute played by Sammi Davis. Hoskins plays role well until very end, wearing his character’s emotions on sleave and making the great revelation at the end even more heart-breaking. Hoskins won Best Actor Award at Cannes Film Festival for his performance and was also nominateed for Oscar for Best Actor, quite deservedly.

Casting of main female character also proved to be inspired and ultimately successful. Cathy Tyson as tall, elegant and classy dark-skinned woman created sharp contrast with her short, white and unrefined chauffeur. This was the debut for Tyson, but she played it excellently. She had great chemistry with Hoskins, making convincing both her initial rejection by George and the way George starts to feel attracted to her, projecting his own desires to mysterious woman whose true motives and feelings remain enigma almost until the very end. Another great performance was delivered by Michael Caine as slick, business-like crime boss who is in many ways antithesis of the iconic gangland character he had played in Get Carter. Same can be said for Robbie Coltrane, Scottish actor and comedian who effectively provides both comic relief and link to “normalcy” by playing Thomas, car mechanic and George’s loyal friend, with whom he shares enthusiasm for mystery novels. Mona Lisa is a great film that should be recommended to fans of many genres, although some of them would see it as a sad reminder that career of great Bob Hoskins ended prematurely.

RATING: 9/10 (++++)