The Best Offer

1/1/20142h 11m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ A master of possession. A crime of obsession. ~

Overview:

Virgil Oldman is a world renowned antiques expert and auctioneer. An eccentric genius, he leads a solitary life, going to extreme lengths to keep his distance from the messiness of human relationships. When appointed by the beautiful but emotionally damaged Claire to oversee the valuation and sale of her family’s priceless art collection, Virgil allows himself to form an attachment to her – and soon he is engulfed by a passion which will rock his bland existence to the core.

Director:

Giuseppe Tornatore

Status:

Released

Language:

Italian

Buget:

$13,500,000.00

Revenue:

$19,255,873.00

Key words:

painting
auctioneer
confidence game
fine art
honey pot

Cast

Geoffrey Rush

~ as ~

Virgil Oldman

Jim Sturgess

~ as ~

Robert

Sylvia Hoeks

~ as ~

Claire Ibbetson

Donald Sutherland

~ as ~

Billy Whistler

Maximilian Dirr

~ as ~

Virgil's Assistant

Philip Jackson

~ as ~

Fred

Dermot Crowley

~ as ~

Lambert

Liya Kebede

~ as ~

Sarah

Hannah Britland

~ as ~

Terri

Brigitte Christensen

~ as ~

The Sister

View full cast & crew

Reviews (2)

Reno
Written 9 year(s) ago
8
Are ready to change yourself when you think you found your match!

Written and directed by one of the famous Italian filmmaker, Giuseppe Tornatore. An English language film, Geoffrey Rush in the lead. It was about an aging art and antique auctioneer, Virgil. The story reveals his final days in his professional field where he meets a young woman who pursued him for her inherited antiques to put on auction. The woman is very mysterious, because of her medical condition and how they both become so close despite their initial meetings were disastrous is the remaining film to tell us with a twist in the final.

It was an awesome storytelling. The screenplay was the top notch and the matching background score. Especially when the story ends and credits rolls up, all those memories from the film keeps us fresh with that music. The music won several awards for the film. I liked the story, but towards the end, I kind of predicted almost everything. That did not stop me, so I enjoyed it thoroughly. Particularly the theme of the film, which I think a bit fresh, and I liked the conclusion as well, but I feel it should have been different or more to it. The way it ended might disappoint some people, but still it is very smart.

Everybody was good, but it was Geoffrey Rush, who stole the show with his stellar performance. Three years might be a little late, but it's never too late to watch a fine film like this. One of the best suspense films from the recent time, it is a must see, particularly if you are seeking a good entertainment. So I hope you watch it if you're not yet.

8/10
CinemaSerf
Written 1 year(s) ago
7
"Oldman" (Geoffrey Rush) is a successful, if rather fastidious, fine art auctioneer who lives his life in a meticulously planned fashion, frequently wearing gloves from his extensive collection to avoid contact with things or people. Nearing the end of his career, he is asked by the enigmatic "Miss Ibbetson" (Sylvia Hicks) to value an extensive collection from her villa. She is very reluctant to meet him in person and initially this makes him want to abandon the process, but his interest in some rusting cogs and wheels he finds on the floor and the valuable collection itself makes him persevere, hoping to gradually improve the relationship. As to the metalwork, he turns to his friend "Robert" (Jim Sturgess) and together they discover that it might be part of an early mechanical man - and worth a fortune! As the story progresses, both he and her have to face challenges to their unique, solitary, ways of living and a peculiar sort of romance ensues that could ultimately fulfil both of their lives. Then there's the twist - and it's quite a twist too. This is really a vehicle for Rush, with the occasional contribution from Strugess and from Donald Sutherland as his slightly dubious friend "Billy", and he delivers really quite well. The portrayal of his almost clinically self-controlled character morphing into that which we see towards the end is really well crafted and Giuseppe Tornatore builds the tension cleverly and disarmingly with a sting in the tail that left me feeling just a little sad.