Review of Mona Lisa (1973) by Ross M — 30 Mar 2012

I started watching Mona Lisa on a whim. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but the description provided by netflix was interesting enough. What I found was a film that sucked me in with its simplicity, and bare honesty.

George (Bob Hoskins) has recently been released from jail and is looking to get work again from his old boss (Michael Caine). While unable to talk to his old boss, he gets assigned to drive around Simone (Cathy Tyson), a rather upscale call girl.

While the two can't stand each other at first, they start to form a bond, and Simone reveals that she is looking for a girl she met while street walking who was dear to her. George, takes it upon himself to look for this girl while trying to save simone from his gangster boss.

Any description I write about the story is going to be lacking, as I'm terrible at summarizing, but I have to highly recommend this film. Bob Hoskins delivers a powerful performance. He makes George an open book, and one can't help but root for someone so open and honest. The other actors are great too.

Mona Lisa is a surprisingly good film that I don't think most people would watch without good word of mouth. So take my word of mouth and watch it!