Mona Lisa (1986)

Director:

Neil Jordan

Writers:

Neil Jordan (screenplay) and
David Leland (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 June 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Sometimes love is a strange and wicked game.

Plot:

George, after getting out of prison, begins looking for a job, but his time in prison has reduced his stature in the criminal underworld...

Plot Keywords:

Driver | Lesbian | Title Based On Song | Sadomasochism | Shot In The Chest

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 15 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Bob Hoskins	...	George
Cathy Tyson	...	Simone
Michael Caine	...	Mortwell
Robbie Coltrane	...	Thomas
Clarke Peters	...	Anderson
Kate Hardie	...	Cathy
Zoë Nathenson	...	Jeannie (as Zoe Nathenson)
Sammi Davis	...	May
Rod Bedall	...	Terry
Joe Brown	...	Dudley
Pauline Melville	...	George's Wife
Hossein Karimbeik	...	Raschid
John Darling	...	Hotel Security
Bryan Coleman	...	Gentleman in Mirror Room
Robert Dorning	...	Hotel Bedroom Man
Raad Rawi	...	Arab Servant (as Raad Raawi)
David Halliwell	...	Tim Devlin
Stephen Persaud	...	Black Youth in Street
Maggie O'Neill	...	Girl in Paradise Club
Gary Cady	...	Hotel Waiter
Donna Cannon	...	Young Prostitute
Perry Fenwick	...	Pimp
Dawn Archibald	...	Wig Girl in Club
Richard Strange	...	Pornshop Man
Alan Talbot	...	Bath House Attendant
Geoffrey Larder	...	Hotel Clerk
Helen Martin	...	Peep Show Girl
Kenny Baker	...	Brighton Busker
Jack Purvis	...	Brighton Busker
Bill Moore	...	Brighton Busker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Ashton	...	Man (uncredited)
Harry Fielder	...	Plainclothes Cop (uncredited)
Jeremy Hardy	...	Shop Assistant (uncredited)
Derek Lyons	...	Pinball Player (uncredited)
Zoot Money	...	Carpenter (uncredited)
Mandy Winch	...	Flower Shop Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Neil Jordan

Writing credits
Neil Jordan		(screenplay) and
David Leland		(screenplay)

Produced by
Chris Brown	....	co-producer
Patrick Cassavetti	....	producer
Ray Cooper	....	co-producer
George Harrison	....	executive producer
Denis O'Brien	....	executive producer
Nik Powell	....	co-producer
Stephen Woolley	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Kamen

Cinematography by
Roger Pratt

Film Editing by
Lesley Walker

Casting by
Susie Figgis

Production Design by
Jamie Leonard

Art Direction by
Gemma Jackson

Costume Design by
Louise Frogley

Makeup Department
Lois Burwell	....	makeup artist
Nick Dudman	....	additional makeup artist
Stevie Hall	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Linda Bruce	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tony Aherne	....	third assistant director
Chris Brock	....	second assistant director
Ray Corbett	....	assistant director

Art Department
Len Bailey	....	stand-by construction
Les Benson	....	property master
Richard Burkett	....	painter
Ron Burkett	....	chargehand painter
Steven Burkett	....	stand-by construction
Stan Cook	....	propman
Gary Crosby	....	painter
Andy Evans	....	construction manager
Micky Ince	....	stand-by construction
Katie Kilroy	....	prop buyer (as Kate Kilroy)
Andrew Palmer	....	propman (as Andy Palmer)
Dave Pearce	....	chargehand carpenter (as David Pearce)
Alfred Pulis	....	carpenter
Tony Robson	....	carpenter
Denise Ruben	....	assistant art director
Robert Schofield	....	stand-by construction (as Bob Schofield)
Alfie Smith	....	propman (as Alf Smith)
Colin Smith	....	stagehand
Eric Strange	....	chargehand prop
Micky Swift	....	propman
Jim Taylor	....	stagehand
Chris Townsend	....	art department assistant
Stuart Williams	....	carpenter
Mark White	....	construction (uncredited)
Mark White	....	props (uncredited)
Mark White	....	reconstruction (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jonathan Bates	....	sound editor
Paul Carr	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Cridlin	....	sound assistant
David John	....	sound recordist
Chris Kelly	....	footsteps editor
Matthew Launay	....	boom operator
Brian Mann	....	adr editor
Brian Paxton	....	sound re-recording mixer

Stunts
Terry Forrestal	....	stunt arranger
Derek Lyons	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Brock	....	clapper loader
John Cantwell	....	electrician
Clive Coote	....	still photographer
Russell Farr	....	electrician
Bill Geddes	....	camera grip
Ian Norgate	....	rigger
Barry Read	....	electrician
Ted Read	....	chief electrician
John 'Porky' Rivers	....	camera grip (as Porky Rivers)
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator
Ian Tabor	....	electrician
Robert Wilcox	....	electrician (as Bob Wilcox)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brenda Dabbs	....	wardrobe supervisor
Patrick Sharkey	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Jeremy Hume	....	first assistant editor
Kevin Lane	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Dave Hunt	....	music recording engineer
Andy Jackson	....	music mixer

Transportation Department
Mark Binnall	....	driver: transport and facility
Paul Daley	....	driver: transport and facility
Mark Daubney	....	driver: transport and facility
Peter Godfrey	....	driver: transport and facility
Alan Howard	....	unit driver
Peter Lupson	....	unit driver
Ray Randall	....	driver: transport and facility
Ian Rankine	....	driver: transport and facility
Dave Watson	....	action vehicle mechanic (as David Watson)
Des Wyard	....	driver: transport and facility
Stuart Rose	....	action vehicle coordinator (uncredited)
Brian Weske	....	driver: Michael Caine (uncredited)

Other crew
Bobby Blues	....	production accountant (as Bob Blues)
Laurie Borg	....	location manager
Jacky Holding	....	accounting assistant (as Jackie Holding)
Laura Julian	....	production coordinator
Michael Larkins	....	production accountant
Simon McNair Scott	....	assistant location manager
Pat Rambaut	....	script supervisor
Ringo Starr	....	special production consultant (as Richard Starkey MBE)
Bob Stilwell	....	follow focus
Fran Triefus	....	assistant to producer
John Varley	....	production runner
Brian Weske	....	personal assistant: Michael Caine (uncredited)

Thanks
Nat 'King' Cole	....	grateful acknowledgment

Production Companies

• HandMade Films (presents)
• Palace Production

Distributors

• Hem Films (1986) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Island Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Cannon Screen Entertainment (1987) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Cannon Screen Entertainment (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• HBO/Cannon Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Image Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Image Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• MTC Video (1988) (Greece) (VHS)
• Stormovie (2009) (Italy) (DVD)
• Sunfilm Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (video) (VOD)
• VTI Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates
• ReelEye Company (special effects contact lenses)

Other Companies

• Audio International  music mixed at
• Geoff Axtell Associates Ltd.  titles and opticals
• Grip House  grip equipment
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment
• Lyps Inc.  additional sound recording
• Mr. Lighting  electrical equipment
• National Philharmonic Orchestra  soundtrack performed by
• Roger Cherrill  sound re-recording
• Smith & Jones Catering  catering
• Stuart Rose Film Services  action vehicles
• Studios CTS  music recorded at

Also Known As:

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Finland:K-16 (1988) | Finland:K-18 (1986) | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Netherlands:12 (2002) | Argentina:18 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

HandMade Films

Trivia:

Anthony Hopkins was offered to play Mortwell, but turned it down, because he was not right for the part. In 2007, while on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992), he mentioned, that he told Neil Jordan to hire Michael Caine, because he would be the perfect choice for the role.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: George stops and orders Simone to get out of the car but doubles back parks and apologizes. Exhaust fumes are clearly seen from the rear of the vehicle as he left it running. When they get back in, he changes gear and pulls off into traffic. On the soundtrack however you can hear the car ignition kicking in (as in the key turning) which is inaccurate as the car engine was already turned on.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jeannie:[at her front door, to George] Yeah? Do you want mum?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Liza and All the Others (2003)

Soundtrack:

IN TOO DEEP

Exceptionally good British film-making

MONA LISA is a complex, intriguing, multi-faceted combination of black comedy, love story, crime drama and adult thriller that demands repeated viewings in order to successfully peel back the various layers and get to the heart of the matter. What you find there is entirely up to you, but I believe it to be a sad and sensitive portrayal of a small-time crook trying to fit into a world that simultaneously rejects and baffles him following his belated release from prison. Hoskins, once again stunning in a role that could have been written for him, is never too naive and never too streetwise, more of an amiable combination of the two. There are obvious paralells to his unforgettable character in THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY - in that film, his character was a murderous thug who somehow remained worth caring about (largely by virtue of his utter confusion at the collapse of his criminal empire at the hands of forces unknown), whereas here, Hoskins' character is appealing because he displays an inner core of utmost decency - he seems shocked by the depths of depravity the underworld has stooped to in his absence, he is stunned by his ex-wife's refusal to let him see his daughter, and even the sight of his "tall, thin, black tart" (a brilliantly understated performance by Cathy Tyson) pleasuring an obese businessman with some light bondage leaves him disgusted and furious. In the film's latter stages, he simmers and seethes like a faulty pressure cooker, and having been by his side throughout his singularly upsetting voyage of discovery, we can share his rage and frustration.

If I had to pick fault with MONA LISA, then that fault lies in Robbie Coltrane's unconvincing performance as a wheeler-dealer who writes detective stories and sells plastic foodstuffs. It isn't Coltrane's fault that the character seems contrived and tacked on to the story just to make things a little more abstruse (one of director Neil Jordan's most consistent failings), but he seems to be plodding through his role indifferently, rather than living it the way Caine and Hoskins are. Nonetheless, MONA LISA is a very fine film and one that should be seen and digested by anyone with an interest in British crime cinema.