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 September 10, 2021

Neil Jordan's "Mona Lisa" (1986) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include new program with Neil Jordan, actor Cathy Tyson, and critic Ryan Gilbey; archival audio commentary by Neil Jordan and Bob Hoskins; archival interviews; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

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, Mona Lisa arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is included with this Blu-ray release:

"This digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on an ARRISCAN film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative and restored by Arrow Films. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from a 35mm magnetic track.

Transfer supervisors: Neil Jordan, Roger Pratt.
Scanning and color: Deluxe Restoration, London."

As you can tell from the quoted technical credits above, this upcoming release introduces the same 2K restoration of Mona Lisa that Arrow Films made available in the United Kingdom in 2015. (You can see our listing and review of the overseas release here). I think that the restoration is very good, and if you have only viewed the film on the previous North American release from Image Entertainment, you should prepare for an entirely new experience with it. Indeed, all of the major areas that we scrutinize in our reviews look vastly superior now -- delineation, depth, clarity, density, fluidity, and even color reproduction. If you have a large TV set or project, you will instantly appreciate the fresh and strong organic appearance of the visuals. Image stability is excellent. There are no traces of age-related imperfections. My one minor criticism is actually identical to the one I had for the previous release. In a couple of indoor/darker areas, the visuals become a tad too loose. I think that a portion of the issue could have been addressed with some encoding optimizations, but it seems like this would be something that will be entirely eliminated only if the density levels are even stronger. A 4K master and a 4K Blu-ray would have accomplished precisely that. Regardless, this is a wonderful organic presentation of Mona Lisa. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free 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: LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not encounter any issues to report in our review. The has been fully remastered and as far as I am concerned it sounds as good as it can. Clarity, sharpness, and balance are excellent. Dynamic intensity is a tad uneven, but the lossless track simply replicates the film's original sound design.

Mona Lisa Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - 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.

• Jordan and Hoskins at Cannes, 1986 - presented here are archival interviews with Neil Jordan and Bob Hoskins that were conducted at the 1986 edition of the Cannes Film Festival, where Hoskins won Best Actor Award for his contribution to Mona Lisa. The comments in the interviews address the film's themes and tone, the type of improvisation that was done in it, the symbolism behind its title, and some of the preparation for it. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Producer Stephen Woolley, 2015 - in this archival 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).

• Writer David Leland, 2015 - in this archival 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).

• Jordan, Tyson, and Gilbey 2021 - in this new program, Neil Jordan, actor Cathy Tyson, and critic Ryan Gilbey discuss the conception of Mona Lisa, Bob Hoskins' performance, Jordan's directing style, some of the sleazy locations that are seen in the film, David Leland's original and quite rough script for the film, etc. The program was produced for Criterion in the Spring of 2021. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring critic Ryan Gilbey's essay "Underground Errand" as well as technical credits.

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. Criterion's upcoming release introduces the 2K restoration of the film that Arrow Films prepared in 2015. It is a fantastic upgrade over the previous North American release of the film from Image Entertainment. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.