Plot: What’s it about?
It seems like Claire Goldstein (Alicia Witt) has her life under control, as everything is going good for her, at least for right now. She is beautiful, talented, and seems to be well liked, with a very bright future in front of her. In addition to having her own apartment and a marriage minded boyfriend, Claire also has a gift when it comes to the piano. As if she were born to do so, she can perform miracles on the musical instrument and soon, she hopes to gauge her skills in a very prestigious competition. In other words, her life seems almost perfect, until it starts to fall apart at the seams. As she prepares for the piano competition, she learns that her application was rejected and that sends her into a spiral, which is only going to get worse as time passes. Soon enough, her boyfriend dumps her and as if that wasn’t enough, she ends up evicted from her apartment as well. Now she is forced to move back with her parents, where her sister is planning her own wedding, to top off her blissful existence. Can Claire manage to put her life back together, or has this series of losses burned her too much and doomed her to a life of loveless misery?
I was drawn to Playing Mona Lisa because of the cast members, several of whom I am always interested to see in action. I was most looking forward to seeing Alicia Witt and Brooke Langton, two young performers who have impressed me, but the rest of the cast also looked good, with such names as Molly Hagan, Elliot Gould, Marlo Thomas, and Johnny Galecki. The performances were as good as expected and in the end, Playing Mona Lisa was a very worthwhile film. I don’t think it was one of the best pictures I’ve seen of late, but it was better than I expected and even earned a place in my personal collection. The story is a pretty loose one, but that means more emphasis on performances and of course, that works out well in this case. I think this is aimed at the female populace, but that doesn’t mean guys will dislike it, as I found it to be well done and entertaining. As I said, this isn’t a classic by any means, but it is worth a look to be sure. If you’re looking for a rental and want to see some terrific performances, I recommend Playing Mona Lisa. Even though Buena Vista has exerted minimal effort on this disc, it is still worth the price of admission.
I think the main reason to see this film is the performance of Alicia Witt, who continues to improve her on screen talents. Witt is a young talent with several memorable turns under her belt and I have to say, I think she gets better with each new appearance. It seems like she either plays a bad girl or plays the piano, but in either case, she’s always a pleasure to watch work. She is given the main role in Playing Mona Lisa, but with such an ensemble cast in tow, I don’t think she is able to fully open up within the lead. I’d love to see her as a true leading lady, as I think her screen presence is excellent and she shows a lot of potential. And of course, being very attractive doesn’t hinder her abilities either, so even when she’s silent, she’s fun to look at. You can also see Witt in such films as Urban Legend, Four Rooms, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Cecil B. DeMented, and Bongwater. The rest of the cast includes Brooke Langton (The Replacements, Swingers), Ivan Sergei (Dangerous Minds, Tv’s Jack & Jill), Elliot Gould (American History X, The Glass Shield), Molly Hagan (Election, Ringmaster), and Johnny Galecki (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Suicide Kings).
Video: How does it look?
Playing Mona Lisa is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. I was very pleased with this image and aside from some grain at times, I have no real complaints to make. The print used is clean, aside from slight grain here and there, which means the film looks sharp and well defined. The colors look bold and vivid, with natural flesh tones and no errors to discuss. The contrast is smooth also, with high detail at all times and well balanced black levels also. I think this transfer will please all viewers, as it looks terrific and allows the film’s visuals to shine.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included 2.0 surround is more than solid, but of course, this is a dialogue driven picture and that means limited surround use. The musical soundtrack sparks the speakers at times, but aside from that, this one is anchored in the front channels. The dialogue is clean and crisp in this mix, with no volume or clarity issues to contend with. As far as dialogue reliant flick soundtracks go, this is a good one and while it isn’t that active, all the elements seem in order. This disc also includes English subtitles, should you have need of them.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
