The Best Offer

"A master of possession. A crime of obsession."

2013 2h 11m IT

🙌

7.8

BANGER

★7.8TMDB · 3,163

DramaRomanceCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“A master of possession. A crime of obsession.”

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Cast

Geoffrey Rush
Virgil Oldman
Jim Sturgess
Robert
Sylvia Hoeks
Claire Ibbetson
Donald Sutherland
Billy Whistler
Maximilian Dirr
Virgil's Assistant
Philip Jackson
Fred
Dermot Crowley
Lambert
Liya Kebede
Sarah

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Writers: Giuseppe Tornatore
Languages: English
Countries: Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 13 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, shot by Fabio Zamarion. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ennio Morricone. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Massimo Quaglia shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Geoffrey Rush and Jim Sturgess and Sylvia Hoeks carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A master of possession. A crime of obsession.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1924396 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Giuseppe Tornatore directs. Fabio Zamarion behind the camera. Ennio Morricone scores. Massimo Quaglia cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 13 years ago.
2Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, shot by Fabio Zamarion. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Ennio Morricone. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Massimo Quaglia shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Geoffrey Rush and Jim Sturgess and Sylvia Hoeks carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "A master of possession. A crime of obsession.".
7IMDB entry: tt1924396 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Fabio Zamarion
Original score: Ennio Morricone
Editing: Massimo Quaglia
Production design: Maurizio Sabatini
Makeup / hair: Stefano Ceccarelli
VFX supervisor: Mario Zanot
Stunt coordinator: Franco Maria Salamon
Runtime: 131 min · 2h 11m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $13,500,000
Box office: $19,255,873
Return: 143% of budget
Original language: IT
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Best Offer (2013)

Awards

David di Donatello for Best Director
European Film Award for Best Composer
David di Donatello for Best Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Giuseppe Tornatore

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Reno2016-10-24
★ 8/10
Are ready to change yourself when you think you found your match! Written and directed by one of the famous Italian filmmaker, Giuseppe Tornatore. An English language film, Geoffrey Rush in the lead. It was about an aging art and antique auctioneer, Virgil. The story reveals his final days in his professional field where he meets a young woman who pursued him for her inherited antiques to put on auction. The woman is very mysterious, because of her medical condition and how they both become so close despite their initial meetings were disastrous is the remaining film to tell us with a twist in the final. It was an awesome storytelling. The screenplay was the top notch and the matching background score. Especially when the story ends and credits rolls up, all those memories from the film keeps us fresh with that music. The music won several awards for the film. I liked the story, but towards the end, I kind of predicted almost everything. That did not stop me, so I enjoyed it thoroughly. Particularly the theme of the film, which I think a bit fresh, and I liked the conclusion as well, but I feel it should have been different or more to it. The way it ended might disappoint some people, but still it is very smart. Everybody was good, but it was Geoffrey Rush, who stole the show with his stellar performance. Three years might be a little late, but it's never too late to watch a fine film like this. One of the best suspense films from the recent time, it is a must see, particularly if you are seeking a good entertainment. So I hope you watch it if you're not yet. 8/10
CinemaSerf2024-04-26
★ 7/10
"Oldman" (Geoffrey Rush) is a successful, if rather fastidious, fine art auctioneer who lives his life in a meticulously planned fashion, frequently wearing gloves from his extensive collection to avoid contact with things or people. Nearing the end of his career, he is asked by the enigmatic "Miss Ibbetson" (Sylvia Hicks) to value an extensive collection from her villa. She is very reluctant to meet him in person and initially this makes him want to abandon the process, but his interest in some rusting cogs and wheels he finds on the floor and the valuable collection itself makes him persevere, hoping to gradually improve the relationship. As to the metalwork, he turns to his friend "Robert" (Jim Sturgess) and together they discover that it might be part of an early mechanical man - and worth a fortune! As the story progresses, both he and her have to face challenges to their unique, solitary, ways of living and a peculiar sort of romance ensues that could ultimately fulfil both of their lives. Then there's the twist - and it's quite a twist too. This is really a vehicle for Rush, with the occasional contribution from Strugess and from Donald Sutherland as his slightly dubious friend "Billy", and he delivers really quite well. The portrayal of his almost clinically self-controlled character morphing into that which we see towards the end is really well crafted and Giuseppe Tornatore builds the tension cleverly and disarmingly with a sting in the tail that left me feeling just a little sad.