Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa, which was a big box office hit in its day drew on the tradition of British mobster genre film typified by Get Carter (1971) and The Long Good Friday (1980) the latter which shared its star, Bob Hoskins, with this film whilst mixing it with a bit of old school ‘60s realism in this story of a superannuated small-time crook, George (Hoskins), who after getting out of prison is given a job as a minder/driver for a high-class call-girl (Cathy Tyson, making her feature film debut and working largely in television thereafter), the lady with the mystic smile of Bob’s romantic imagination (fueled by Nat King Cole's classic ballad), their relationship and his eventual awakening to the snares of this Barnum and Bailey world.

I’ve never been charmed by Hoskin's ingenuous Cockney schtick, in this or any film (he won best actor at Cannes for his performance here and was nominated for an Oscar) but if you want a sample of it, this understated and entertaining film, co-scripted by director Neil Jordan with David Leland, is a worthy one. Michael Caine (who had starred in Get Carter) impress as a villain whilst Robbie Coltrane puts in a good show as George’s buddy.

 

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