Review of Object of Beauty, The

Introduction

John Malkovich and a very young and shiny looking Andie MacDowell star in this 1991 romantic comedy drama about an insurance scam involving a Henry Moore sculpture. Produced by a conglomerate of companies including Samuel Goldwyn Productions and the BBC, and written and directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, the movie`s pedigree is better than the finished result.

Malkovich is a great character actor, but not a good romantic lead, which imbalances the movie as Andie MacDowell is as always an excellent romantic lead (although in this picture she isn`t as sympathetic a character as she usually portrays). An excellent British supporting cast is largely wasted, and unfortunately the script is to blame. There isn`t a single sympathetic character in this low-key comedy (that`s Hollywood-speak for comedy-free or laugh-lite), and for a rom-com that`s creative suicide. Even Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which is in a similar vein, rises above the basic unpleasantness of its leads by casting stars whose personal affability undermines the unsympathetic natures of the characters and makes for a genuinely funny (if veined with black) comedy. Lindsay-Hogg`s best known works are the Beatles documentary Let It Be (1970) and the co-direction of Brideshead Revisited. Mostly a TV director, a look at his CV points towards an unfamiliarity with the genre.

Video

Photographed by David Watkin and reproduced in the original 1.85:1 as anamorphic widescreen. Watkin was responsible for the photography of (among others) The Knack (1965), Help! (1965), The Bed Sitting Room (1969), Catch-22 (1970), The Devils (1971), the first two Dick Lester Musketeer films and the tv series Jesus of Nazareth.

Audio

Very much vin ordinaire - Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Features

Kidding, right? Bare bones except for subtitles.

Conclusion

I like romantic comedies, I really do, but in this case I`ll make an exception. This movie lacks the light touch needed for a successful romantic comedy, and the fault lies in the characters the actors have to portray. A more sympathetic crowd could have lifted this movie to the heights but instead consign it to mediocrity, which is a terrible shame given the sheer class of the cast and crew.