RIP Bob Hoskins

Actor Bob Hoskins has died at the age of 71.  In his honor, I am posting my review of Mona Lisa and the Genesis video featuring clips from the movie.  Enjoy!

Sometimes when you fall in love with someone, you may find yourself in too deep before you realize that the love you feel is not returned to you.  That’s the takeaway from Neil Jordan’s 1986 “romantic noir” film Mona Lisa starring Bob Hoskins.  Hoskins plays George, a man recently released from a seven-year stint in prison.  George picks up where his old life left off by working for a nefarious organization run by Mortwell (Michael Caine).  George’s job is to drive a high-priced prostitute named Simone (Cathy Tyson), to her “appointments.”  At first, George and Simone dislike each other, but, as time passes, a warm, if awkward, friendship develops between them.  Eventually, Simone enlists George to help her find another prostitute Simone knew when they were run by the same pimp on the streets of London.  And so the film explores the seedier sides of London like 1980’s King’s Cross where ladies of the night find their johns and the various sex shops where George, newly dressed in an expensive suit purchased for him by Simone, goes looking for Cathy.  George, who drives around in a classic Jaguar listening to Nat King Cole, is somewhat shocked by what he finds-- young teenaged girls, like his own daughter, strung out on heroin and in the clutches of abusive pimps.  Things come to a violent head when George finds Simone’s friend being pimped out to Mortwell.  Mona Lisa is a clever and nuanced meditation on the complications of friendship and unrequited  love.