The film gets its title from the name of a yacht owned by a wealthy heiress, an attractive young woman just out of school, named Olivia (Meg Tilly). Olivia is a tad starry-eyed, wistful, and overly trusting. She owns eight houses and lives in the Hamptons, on Long Island. "Masquerade" is her story, and it involves romance, betrayal, and death.
Into Olivia's life comes a good-looking, but not wealthy, skipper of a racing boat, a young man named Tim (Rob Lowe). Olivia falls in love with Tim. But is Tim really in love with her, or just after her money?
The film's setup is both slightly misleading and a little slow to develop. But a major plot point at the end of the first Act perks up interest. And from here, "Masquerade" becomes a generally enjoyable thriller, until near the end. The plot climax does seem contrived. A simple phone call could have achieved one character's desired result. Instead, that character takes matters into his or her own hands. The result is an unnecessarily dramatic outcome.
The casting of Meg Tilly is perfect for the role of Olivia. Everyone else in the cast is at least adequate.
Color cinematography in outdoor scenes is quite good, especially those scenes filmed on the open waters off the coast of Long Island. Indoor sets are okay. Background music is boringly nondescript.
My only major complaint pertains to the film's dated thematic style. Many scenes in "Masquerade" show lush mansions, manicured lawns, expensive sports cars, and haughty parties where women wear expensive gowns and dance with wealthy men to the ballroom music of a live orchestra. All of which is well executed. But some of these visuals are awfully reminiscent of other 1980s productions like "Dallas" and "Dynasty", which make "Masquerade" look stuck in the 1980s.
This film offers entertainment in the form of interesting characters, more than one of whom "masquerade" as something they're not, and a twisty, betrayal driven plot that leads to an outcome that the viewer probably will not be able to predict.
