Neil Jordan’s ‘Mona Lisa’
The great problem of living through streaming services is made more accessible through Max's TCM feature, which allows movie lovers to discover films from different eras, from the silent film era of the 20s to 80s cinema. I found the TCM category each time, passed by Mona Lisa (1986), and recently watched it for the first time.
My first discovery of the film lead actor, Bob Hoskins, was in Steven Spielberg's Hook (1991) as Mr. Smee. Hidden by the layers of wardrobe and makeup, I never knew who Hoskins was or was aware of his bodywork in the British neo-noir crime drama.
Directed by Neil Jordan, Mona Lisa follows the main character, George (Bob Hoskins), who was recently released from prison and given a new job as a chauffeur for a call girl named Simone (Cathy Tyson). The new line of work softens his tough guy image, and Simone asks George to find a young girl named Cathy from her early working days. Once George begins to search, trouble unveils itself.
George's character is first introduced when he stops by his ex-wife's house to reconcile and visit his daughter. Obviously not met with open arms, George cannot even step foot in his own home and is violently pushed out, causing a scene for the neighbors to see. We see George as a man with a short fuse and can't understand the pain he has caused to those who are loved and disappointed.
But as the film progresses and George is assigned to drive around Simone, he quickly learns his reactive approach to nonsense will not work in this underworld. Simone brings out a softness in George. And having a daughter of his own, he realizes what the other side of life could be for her. George cares for Simone, keeping her from being taken advantage of by clients and ending a few paid opportunities.
Simone's character punctures through the vulnerability in George taking advantage of the gentleness she knows he is capable of. There is chemistry between Tyson and Hoskins, and when her character assigns George to find the missing girl, the film becomes a thriller.
Michael Caine plays Mortwell, the man George went to prison for, and he still takes orders from him. Caine, as always, delivers an excellent performance, making his presence known in this supporting role. Not overdoing the villainous motif, Caine manages to evoke fear in those below him, even George. However, Caines's performance as Mortwell showed a different side to the actor as a sweaty, more broken boss.
In his third film as a director, Neil Jordan balanced elements of the thriller crime genre while diving into a character study of George's transformation and obsession over completing a job for those closest to him. The film's cinematographer, Roger Pratt, also brings the story to life by using faint close-ups and capturing the characters' faces in the car's rearview mirror while George is driving.
Bob Hoskins received critical acclaim for his performance as George, winning Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival and earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Mona Lisa unveils how certain people can only notice the surface-level front of someone until someone comes along from the opposite side of the tracks, puncturing the wounds tucked away.
Rating: 5/5
