Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
Virgil Oldman is a world renowned antiques expert and auctioneer. An eccentric genius, he leads a solitary life, going to extreme lengths to keep his distance from the messiness of human relationships. When appointed by the beautiful but emotionally damaged Claire to oversee the valuation and sale of her family’s priceless art collection, Virgil allows himself to form an attachment to her – and soon he is engulfed by a passion which will rock his bland existence to the core.
The Best Offer is a meticulously crafted psychological thriller-romance that earns high marks for its intricate, layered plot centered on deception and obsession — the confidence game mechanics are woven elegantly into the character study. Geoffrey Rush delivers a masterclass as Virgil Oldman, bringing tremendous depth to an eccentric, emotionally armored man undone by love; the supporting cast including Sylvia Hoeks and Jim Sturgess is equally strong. The cinematography is competent and atmospheric in its depiction of opulent auction houses and art-filled interiors but doesn't rise to exceptional visual artistry. Novelty is solid — the milieu of high-end art dealing combined with a honey-trap romance is distinctive enough, though not wholly unprecedented in European crime-drama. The ending is the film's most celebrated element: a devastating, precisely constructed reveal that recontextualizes everything and lingers long after viewing.