Objeto de seducción

I have to give credit to Andie McDowell and John Malkovich, American citizens, who are living it up in the lapse of luxury in London, England. They are living beyond their means and owe plenty of money to their creditors especially the hotel.

Anyway, Tina has a statue which is worth thousands but doesn't protect it very well. It lays about in their hotel suite. When a deaf chambermaid take the statue, Tina and her partner's plan to stage a fake robbery to collect the insurance gets thwarted. They don't trust each other when it comes to the statue.

While the film is fine, it's not great but bearable and almost forgettable. The cast does the best with a weak script. I enjoy the London locales. The girl who played the chambermaid does a fantastic and believable job in creating sympathy. She lives with her brother in a small flat in London, England. Getting the statue doesn't buy happiness for anybody involved.

Not the usual fare for PPV on Bulsatcom in Bulgaria and, with Malkovich currently appearing every few seconds on CNN, in ads for one of their items about him (I've seen the item and he is sickeningly pretentious), I was in two minds whether or not to use my last (free) token to watch it.

My God! I am glad I did. Malkovich and MacDowell gave superlative performances in a beautifully written, directed and acted piece where even the minor roles combined to make this a masterpiece of story and film. Not just "even" the minor roles, as these were excellent performances by Joss Ackland, Ricci Harnett, Bill Paterson, Roger Lloyd-Pack, etc., etc., yes even the few lines from Pip Torrens as the art evaluator. Rudi Davies was excellent (not sure why we haven't seen anything from her in the last fifteen years).

Well, my free token ran out three minutes before the end. Pity!

a smart, little chekhovian drama about greed and infidelity. malkovich and mcdowell play themselves: a cold, calculating bastard and a spoiled, falsely naive princess. a great little film that deserves to be mentioned more often.

Jake and Tina are living a lavish life in a top London Hotel, only they are living way beyond their means, their only asset, Tina's limited edition Henry Moore figurine. Its disappearance coincides with new maid Jenny, who took a shine to it.

I understand why it has a relatively low score, and I don't think anyone could argue it has a massive appeal, but it has a definite appeal.

It's a real fusion of styles, yes it's a drama, but it's a comedy, it's a romance, it definitely crosses the genres.

Jake and Tina are two very spoiled adult children, they have no respect for one another, no regard for one another, I don't even think they like eachother, you have to wonder how on Earth they got together.

Delightful performances from the leading stars, John Malkovich and a radiant Andie MacDowell are both terrific, she edges it for me, Bill Patterson and Joss Ackland are both quite wonderful.

Not quite an underrated gem, but definitely well worth seeing.

7/10.

This is by far one of my favorite little films, & just yesterday I bought it on DVD for a mere pittance ($6 & change)& settled in happily to enjoy it again. Only once in a blue moon does it turn up on artsy/independent film-type channels, so don't hold your breath looking for it on TV.

Everyone in this film is perfectly cast, & what makes it come together so beautifully is that each character in this piece exhibits faults & foibles, as we all do. It's so refreshing to watch something entertaining where the characters are portrayed as "real" - albeit flawed - people. In addition, the jazz musical score throughout the film fits the mood like a glove.

My favorite not-to-be-missed extremely funny scene? John Malkovich's "Jake", in a moment of depressed exasperation, talking aloud to himself composing his own obituary. I laugh every time I hear it - his delivery is perfect. Another favorite scene, very poignant, is when Mr. Malkovich's "Jake" phones his parents, after an apparently long absence, with the apparent intention of requesting monetary assistance. From the one-sided conversation you hear, you get an automatic insight into "Jake"'s upbringing, & perhaps why he's taken the path he has. Even though short, it's an extremely moving & insightful scene.

This movie is definitely worth renting if you can find it - but for the money, it's also worth adding to one's permanent DVD collection.