After doing a stretch in the joint, George returns to his boss who said he would take care of him with the expectations work. He is given the gig of chauffeuring a high end call girl. Although George is a tough talking thug who seems to know his way around the streets, he is taken aback by the sleazy world of sex for hire and seems surprisingly naive about what goes on there. As he gets to know his knew employer, he develops a contentious relationship at first but inevitably develops feelings for her. After developing a mutual trust, the girl asks George to find an old fellow call girl friend whom she has lost track of. While obliging, George is thrust down a path that will more than like end in misfortune. Mona Lisa launched the career of director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview with the Vampire) and is a noirish tale taking place amongst the underbelly of London. With shades of Taxi Driver, this is essentially a tale of loneliness. Bob Hoskins (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) gives a knockout performance as George, the role that earned him an Academy Award nomination. Cathy Tyson plays a difficult role as the prostitute. She isn't the heart of gold type, but is in fact independent and manipulative and Tyson handles the role nicely. Michael Caine is great as usual playing a ruthless cockney whom Hoskins works for. When watching Mona Lisa I would recommend using the subtitles to get the most out of the hard to grasp dialogue. This is a well made film elevated further by Hoskins powerhouse performance as a lonely soul looking for love in all the wrong places.
