Mona Lisa [Blu-ray] [Import]

Neil Jordan began his career as a writer and is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting film directors nowadays. It's always challenging for the common viewer to watch a movie directed by a former writer. One often wonders why the director has left his books for the cinema. Some of these ex-writers use the camera as if they were handling a pen and the result is dreadful. Or too intellectual. Fortunately, with MONA LISA, Neil Jordan has created a stunning visual world and George and Simone's night wanderings through the London underworld an unforgettable cinematographic journey.

MONA LISA develops a lot of themes that will touch you in a way or in another. The different levels of the movie are so well mingled in the story that you will be able to watch MONA LISA several times and still discover little pearls hidden by the brilliant director. At the end of the movie, I just wanted to check the sound quality of the commentary track recorded in 1996 by Neil Jordan and Bob Hoskins and I found myself trapped into MONA LISA for an immediate second screening.

Apart from the commentary, this Criterion DVD offers the theatrical trailer and a one page written Neil Jordan commentary.

A DVD for your library.

In this movie, Bob Hoskins plays the role of George, a man recently released from prison who takes a job driving a prostitute to her customers. George has been shunned by former colleagues and his ex wife and struggles to make a living.

The film has good acting and is very well photographed. Again with having first seen Bob hoskins in the film, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and having seen that film an uncountable number of times before seeung him in other films, it is hard to see Hoskins in any other role.

The film recieved an R rating in the US for violence, profanity, and brief female nudity. This DVD has been approved by director Neil Jordan and has 2 special features. There is a theatrical trailer and audio commentary by director Niel Jordan and actor Bob Hoskins which was originally recorder for the laserdisc edition in 1996