Mona Lisa (1986)

Nominated for 1 Academy Award:

Best Actor: Bob Hoskins

 

Mona Lisa is a film known nowadays for the acclaim that Bob Hoskins received for it. No real reason why I stayed away from it, I guess I wasn’t curious enough to see what is the performance that Paul Newman stole the Oscar from (for The Color of Money). In a way I am happy to report that, while Hoskins is very good, it is not a ground-breaking or mind-blowing performance, and also it hasn’t aged well. In the era of MeToo, his character, the hero of the film, ends up looking pretty disgusting, and the film itself is problematic on how it views women.

Not that I am too sensitive about it, and it’s not why I didn’t love the film, but it’s worth noting how it’s perceived through the eyes of a modern viewer - me. Hard to say what doesn’t work in the end, since the film is easy to watch and enjoyable most times, I guess it’s just the story that didn’t stand out for me and the villains that were a bit cliched. The Crying Game is more enjoyable.

 

I give it: 7/10

IMDB LINK