When you walk out of a screening and just want to talk about the film it is an excellent indication that you have just viewed some wonderful cinema. You also have been entertained by a superb and controlled performance by the great Geoffrey Rush and to complete the experience there is the sumptuous display of many sublime classic paintings.

Geoffrey Rush’s character, Virgil Oldman, runs an elite auction house specialising in the paintings, sculpture and other objets d’art. He conspires with a flamboyant, long haired ostentatious art collector, Billy Whistler, played by Donald Sutherland, to purchase undervalued paintings, invariably of beautiful females, that end up in Virgil’s private collection.

Virgil’s measured and controlled world is disturbed by a telephone call he receives from a mysterious woman who wants to arrange the valuation and auction of the contents of her recently deceased parents’ villa. An arranged meeting does not occur and it emerges that Claire, played by the beautiful Sylvia Hoeks, is an agoraphobic, never even seen by the villa’s caretaker.

From this premise numerous story threads develop involving emerging love stories, the process of valuing a collection and preparing a catalogue for the auction, and the assembly of a mechanical contraption from various gears and cogs found scattered around the villa. The contraption is assembled by gifted technician Robert, played by Jim Sturgess.

I have outlined the set-up only as it is best to view this film knowing little about the plot. The exposition is intriguing and wonderful. Director and writer Giuseppe Tornatore (CINEMA PARADISO) and cinematographer Fabio Zamarion have constructed a visually exquisite film. The pedigree of this film is further demonstrated by having a score by Ennio Morricone.

I thoroughly recommend Tornatore’s fine film. THE BEST OFFER is on general release.