Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Mona Lisa Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 14, 2015

Neil Jordan's "Mona Lisa" (1986) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new video interviews with director Neil Jordan, writer David Leland, and producer Stephen Woolley; and audio commentary with Bob Hoskins and Neil Jordan. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The driver

George (Bob Hoskins, The Long Good Friday) has spent the majority of his life on the wrong side of the law. While in prison, he has had plenty of time to think about it and now he wants to be a better man. He also wants to be the good and reliable father his daughter (Zoe Nathenson, One Night Stand) never had. But when he tries to see her and his ex-wife (Pauline Melville, Far from the Madding Crowd) unceremoniously throws him out, he decides to go back where he belongs -- to the dark and dangerous streets of London’s West End.

Mortwell (Michael Caine, Get Carter), a well known and well connected mobster, hires George as a driver for Simone (Cathy Tyson, The Serpent and the Rainbow), an upscale black prostitute. Having served time in prison for the mobster George isn’t impressed with his gift, but begins working with Simone because he needs the money to rebuild his life. The two frequently argue, but eventually warm up to each other and discover that they both have a sensitive side.

While taking a break from work, Simone buys George nice clothes from an expensive store that make him look like a true gentleman. Surprised and deeply moved by her generosity, George secretly vows to be her guarding angel.

Eventually, Simone asks George to help her find a 15-year-old prostitute named Cathy (Kate Hardie, The Krays). The two became good friends while hustling the streets, but after Cathy disappeared without a trace Simone moved to a different area. Unsure where to look for the girl but determined to help Simone reunite with her friend, George reluctantly enters London's dangerous vice underworld.

The film sees London’s seedy side like a respectable documentary would -- without hiding the ugly and certainly without pointing any fingers. There are some minor similarities with Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, but the atmosphere here is very different. As Hoskins’ character visits various night clubs and brothels -- full of real dancers and prostitutes, not actors -- one gets a strikingly authentic sense of how clients and providers (and their bosses) treated each other in ‘80s London.

The raw visuals are repeatedly countered with light humor. As Hoskins’ character tries to look presentable in the glitzy world where the prostitute meets her clients, he frequently sticks out like a sore thumb and his manners and overreactions are incredibly funny. He also has some hilarious exchanges with an extravagant entrepreneur (played brilliantly by Robbie Coltrane), who happens to be his one and only true friend.

Caine’s mobster gets more time in front of the camera during the final act, but he is too stereotypical to leave a lasting impression. This is a bit disappointing because the potential for a massive character clash is certainly there.

The ending feels somewhat rushed, but Hoskins makes it look convincing. Tyson's character transformation is also authentic, but the dramatic sequence at the pier is clearly overcooked.

Neil Jordan completed Mona Lisa in 1986. It was his big international break. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival where it earned Palme d’Or nomination and won Best Actor Award (Hoskins).

Acclaimed composer Michael Kamen (Lethal Weapon, Die Hard) created the film’s soundtrack. Phil Collins also contributed with “In Too Deep”, which was later on included on Genesis’ album Invisible Touch.

Mona Lisa Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Neil Jordan's Mona Lisa arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video.

The new 2K restoration is excellent. During the daylight footage the improvements in detail and clarity are substantial, frequently allowing one to see small details and objects that are basically missing on the old U.S. release. The most sizable improvements, however, are during the darker footage. Indeed, now shadow definition is greatly improved and as a result image depth is far better (compare screencapture #2 and screencapture #1 from our review of the U.S. release). The color scheme is fairly similar -- there are no major discrepancies -- but colors are better saturated and look a lot healthier now. Grain is retained and well distributed. There are no traces of sharpening adjustments. The encoding is good, but there are a few sequences where light compression artifacts sneak in (most notably during the sauna sequence -- see screencaptures #14 and 15). There are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, or general stability issues to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 Blu-ray player in order to access its content).

Mona Lisa Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles have been provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is excellent. The dialog is stable, well balanced, and completely free of background hiss. The music is also wonderfully balanced with the dialog (listen to the Genesis track after George enters the night club). The overall range of nuanced dynamic is somewhat limited, but such is the film's original sound design. There are no pops, cracks, audio dropouts, or distortions.

Mona Lisa Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original theatrical trailer for Mona Lisa. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Interviews -
  
  1. Neil Jordan - in this new video interview, director Neil Jordan recalls how Mona Lisa came to exist (and specifically David Leland's initial script, which was eventually rewritten), and discusses the casting of Michael Caine, the noirish elements in the film, some of the notable references in the film, the dialog, Cathy Tyson's character and performance, the different locations seen in the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).
  
  2. David Leland - in this new video interview, writer David Leland discusses the first draft of the script for Mona Lisa (which was written with the knowledge that Michael Caine, not Bob Hoskins, will be the main character in the film), Neil Jordan's adjustments to script, some of the more memorable/controversial scenes from the final version of the film, Bob Hoskins' performance, etc. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).
  
  3. Stephen Woolley - in this new video interview, producer Stephen Woolley, who grew up in North London, discusses Neil Jordan's view of his hometown, the look of Mona Lisa, and some of the similarities between the town he knew and the one seen in the film. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Commentary by Neil Jordan and Bob Hoskins - this audio commentary was recorded in 1996 and also appeared on Criterion's DVD release of Mona Lisa. Director Neil Jordan discusses the type of dilemmas George faces throughout the film, his relationship with the prostitute, the different locations they visit, and some of the common themes that run through his films. Bob Hoskins recalls his initial encounter with Michael Caine and how different scenes from Mona Lisa were shot, and addresses the balance between humor and drama in the film, George's relationship with the prostitute, etc.

• Cover - reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin.

Mona Lisa Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The late Bob Hoskins is at his very best as a naive loser who falls in love with a high-class prostitute after he is hired to be her driver in Irish director Neil Jordan's gritty breakthrough hit Mona Lisa. Like John Mackenzie's The Long Good Friday, another terrific film with Hoskins, Mona Lisa has been recently restored in 2K and looks lovely on Blu-ray. This release will be available for purchase in July. However, currently Mona Lisa and The Long Good Friday are available in this Limited Edition box set, which also comes with some exclusive supplemental features. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.