THE BEST OFFER

Italy, 2012, 124 minutes, Colour.
Geoffrey Rush, Jim Sturgess, Sylvia Hoeks, Donald Sutherland.
Directed by Ennio Morricone.

There are many, many reasons for seeing The Best Offer – and, probably, many reasons for seeing it again. It is, to say the least, intriguing.

One of the main reasons for seeing the film is the central performance by Geoffrey Rush. He is at his best. He is art dealer and auctioneer, Virgil Oldman, an extreme aesthete who lives a solitary private existence, coming to life with surprising vivacity as he conducts auctions. Rush is persuasive when he goes into extroverted action but, since most of the time, he is a shy and often withdrawn introvert, his skill is manifest as we realise that we share so much of his interior life. Since he is not, initially, in any ways sympathetic – he is snobbish and arrogant – it is fascinating to realise how we have been drawn into his life.

The writer-director has fashioned a complex screenplay – and by the end, we realise just how complex it has been, and we go back to puzzle over what we have seen and what has really happened. It is a film by Italian Giuseppe Tornatore (filming in English), most famous for Cinema Paradiso and Italian stories like Everybody’s Fine and Malena. However, he made A Pure Formality in 1993, with Gerard Depardieu and Roman Polanski, which was also a puzzle which challenges the audience’s perceptions and response to changes and twists.

The reserved Virgil is asked to evaluate and catalogue the art works and furniture in an Italian mansion, commissioned by a young woman (Sylvia Hoeks) who irritates him because of her failure to come to meetings. As their interactions continue, ups and downs, his curiosity is aroused and, to his surprise because of his many decades of wariness and avoidance of women – except for his huge collection of classic portraits of women which he sits and contemplates in a secret gallery-room – a sexual attraction emerges for the mysterious young woman who employs him. He is also fascinated by some pieces of machines which are identified as 18th century and parts of an automaton. His other passion is for the automaton to be re-constructed as he finds more and more parts. He is helped in this pursuit by a genial young mechanic, Jim Sturgess, who also becomes a sounding board for Virgil’s emotional journey.

The other central character is Billy, an amateur artist friend of Virgil, who attends auctions and makes bids on behalf of Virgil, played by Donald Sutherland. Philip Jackson is the caretaker.

At this stage, publicists advise reviewers that they should go no further with any plot information, so that audiences will experience the film as the reviewers have and be drawn deeper into the characters and their lives and the twists of fate.

What can be said is that Tornatore has written a clever and intelligent script. There is a lush score by Ennio Morricone. We can contemplate a number of works of art. And we can admire the performances. And, yes, it would repay seeing again.


1. Acclaim for the film? The writing, intricacies of plot, the cast, morricone a score, artwork?

2. The audience immersed in the world of art? Will the

3. The world of the auctions, wealth, art connoisseurs, collectors? The world of fraud?

4. The Italian setting, the visuals of the city, homes, mansions, the streets, bars, restaurants? London auction settings? Elite world?

5. The visuals of the architecture, the many paintings from the ages, mechanical constructions,THE and the automaton?

6. Geoffrey Rush will as Virgil Oldman, the skill in his performance? Age, experience, in the orphanage, being punished by the nuns, having to help with the art restoration, his liking this, growing in knowledge, detecting authentic work and fraud, at home in an exclusive world? The introduction, his narrative for the wealthy clients, his knowledge describing the artwork? His dressing for the restaurant, the orderliness of his wardRobe? The secrecy of his room, sitting in contemplation, the audience gazing at the pictures with him? Dressing, his gloves shielding him from reality, the restaurant, his being alone, fastidious, eating and taste, the other people at the restaurant, the waiters will, his birthday cake and candle, keeping it until later? The film successfully introducing him briefly, revealing his character?

7. At the office, with his staff, relying on them, not knowing them, later asking his assistant whether he was married or not? The international contacts, the requests for him to lead auctions all over Europe? Coming alive at the auctions, his methods, personal, descriptions, naming the bidders?

8. The introduction to Billy, seen at the auction, his appearance, bidding, the deals, acting on behalf of Virgil, the discussions, the payments? His delay in the bidding and losing an authentic painting? His going to the owner, buying it we’ll back? Profession of friendship, his bad feelings about losing the painting, the gift of his own painting? Virgil not considering him a good artist? The finale, his presence, co the the the the the ntinued friendship?

9. Virgil, his capacity for fraud, his own collection, paying Billy? Finding the piece on the floor, his the explanations, the restoration, his lying about its authenticity, auctioning it, the collector who wanted the fake, Billy missing out, buying it from her, giving it to Virgil? The machine parts and his collecting them from the floor of the building?

10. Virgil and evaluations, the initial session and the clientele, his knowledge, acting as an agent, preparing catalogs?

11. The issue of the phone, not wanting a mobile phone, getting one and the constant use? Claire phoning, his listening, pretending to be the assistant, his huff? Her persuasive words? Agreeing to the meeting, her delay, the alleged accident? The continued phone calls? The survey of the furniture and art, his interest, the mechanical pieces and taking them? Meeting with the caretaker, the discussions with him, his finally agreeing to do the work?

12. Caretaker, serving the family, the years, doing the shopping, never seeing Claire, explanations to up Virgil, the key? And Virgil’s payments to him?

13. Claire, the history of her family, the death of her parents, owning the mansion, her age, agoraphobia, the stories about her life, the happy visit to Prague in her teens, change? The continued phone calls? Moods and caprices? Staying behind the door, Virgil more curious, attracted to her?

14. Rob, his age, experience, mechanical skills? Welcoming clients, kissing and, having coffee with them, at ease with people? Sarah as his girlfriend, the bike, the dates? Rob listening to Virgil, giving advice, the walks and talks, having coffee? Virgil and his story about his friend, confessing the truth, confiding in Rob? The mechanical pieces, the identification of the artist, the automaton, Rob and his skills, constructing, speculating, kinship? Sarah and her discussion with Virgil, his being upset, with Rob, breaking off the friendship? His return, the pieces, the success of the reconstruction? His inviting Rob the to see Claire?

15. The bar, Virgil watching the house, watching the caretaker, ordering tea, not drinking it until the end? Pain? The importance of Claire the savant, her recitation of figures?

16. Virgil’s normal work on the furniture, the catalogue?

17. These preoccupations, at the office, the phone calls, ringing Claire, the contract, the painting of her mother and wanting it, saying it was of little value, the irony of the revelation who painted it? Getting the key, entering the the building, the locked doors, her giving him the new key? Tensions, apologies, phone calls?

18. Letting himself in, banging the door, staying to watch Claire? Her phoning the editor? Her provocative and sexual sitting on the chair? His gradually being led into the rooms, her computer, writing? Her revealing more of herself, talking, his wanting to help, getting her to venture out?

19. The effect on Virgil, his inability to look directly at Sarah, yet his infatuation with Claire, stalking her, the flowers for her birthday, becomes more intimate, kissing?

20. Virgin and his being mugged, Claire coming out, his going to hospital, recovery? The untold tone and its completion? The meal with Claire, Rob and Sarah? Her decision to cancel the catalog and his destroying it?

21. The scenes of intimacy, Virgil’s sexual experience, talking with Rob?

22. The final auction, Claire’s disappearance, Virgil upset, making mistakes at the auction, being laughed at?

23. Billy, Rob, the search for Claire? Going to the house, her hiding in the attic, her dependence on him?

24. The farewell to Billy? The irony?

25. Rob and his disappearance, Claire’s disappearance, of the paintings?

26. The savant, her name the Claire, her owning the building, leasing it to cinema people? The pathos and brutality of the truth?

27. Virgil, in the institution, his beard, appearing derelict? His being swirled in the wheel?

28. The flashbacks after the discovery of the truth, his being upset, searching everywhere, the paintings gone, in the train, the visit to Prague, the restaurant with the clocks, hoping to find Claire?

29. What was he left with? And the audience sharing his pain?

30. The need to see the film again, to follow the intricacies of the plot, behaviour and motivation?