Masquerade | | Cast : | Rob Lowe, Meg Tilly | | Director : | Bob Swaim | | Studio : | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | | Format : | Color, Widescreen | | Released Date : | March 11, 1988 | | DVD Released Date : | June 01, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | November 09, 2004 | | Summary | Masquerade Ball | Content
 | Masquerade is a solid mystery thriller, that despite a few story flaws, works well and would probably make Hitchcock proud.
Olivia Laurence (Jennifer Tilly) seems to have it all: living the good life with fine breeding and a two-hundred-million-dollar fortune after her mother dies. Behind the facade of the well known East Hampton seaside estate, she must deal with her dubious stepfather Tony (John Glover) and his double dealings. Her life is also one without passion. Enter Tim Whalen (Rob Lowe), a good looking sailing instructor and playboy who's not ashamed of sleeping with his boss' insatiable wife Brooke (Kim Cattrall) or social climbing just for the fun of it. And when he sets his sights on Olivia, she falls instantly under the spell of this handsome stranger, unaware that he has his eye on more than just her beauty.
No one could play the smarmy "playboy" type in the 80's/early 90's the way Lowe did. This time though, he gives Whalen a bit more compexity, and he's up to the task--turning in a good performance. Before she became the breathless sexy siren she is today, Tilly is superb as Olivia, coming across as strong and vulnerable at the same time. Director Bob Swaim is pretty good at creating tension and suprise--keeping you guessing. The script comes from Dick Wolf (The man responsible for the Law & Order TV franchise) and Larry Brody and is quite good as a puzzle and the game of misdirection. There is one twist though I spotted from a mile away and it brings it down some a bit--but thankfully not enough to ruin things overall. Special mention must be made of composer John Barry's score that helps to seal the deal.
The only extra on the DVD is the theatrical trailer. The movie may not exactly warrant purchase per se` But, it is worth the rental, for those fighting off boredom. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 31, 2004 | | Summary | Masquerade | Content
| A handsome gigolo, Tim Whalen (Rob Lowe), meets a wealthy heiress, Olivia Lawrence (Meg Tilley), and her selfish and domineering stepfather is far from happy with their relationship. The local cop (Doug Savant) also expresses an interest in the Lawrence girl. A subsequent string of murders puts each of the characters under suspicion and the wealthy Lawrence girl is suddenly caught up in a murderous plot that will see both her inheritance and her life put at risk. 'Masquerade' is a tense thriller containing a multitude of twists and turns that keep the viewer guessing to the end. It is in the same vein as 'Bad Influence', 'Sleeping with the Enemy', and 'Dead Calm'. I first watched this film when it was released on VHS in 1988 ... it is still as exciting today. Watch it with someone you can trust. Also stars Kim Cattrall and John Glover. The extras include widescreen format and DVD quality picture. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 29, 2004 | | Summary | Slick, stylish thriller | Content
| A handsome gigolo charms his way into the life of a beautiful young woman, heiress to a multi-million dollar fortune. After the loss of her mother, she lives with her self-indulgent stepfather, a ruthless cad intent on controlling both his stepdaughter's inheritance and her relationships. A local police officer also shows emotional interest in the heiress, having known her since childhood. But who can she really trust? 'Masquerade'is a dark and moody thriller, focusing on themes of money and greed, trust and betrayal. Reasonably-paced, and containing a multitude of twists and turns, 'Masquerade' is undoubtedly one of Rob Lowe's better thrillers. It is in the same vein as 'Bad Influence' and 'First Degree', with a talented supporting cast, including Meg Tilly and 'Sex and the City's' Kim Cattrall. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 29, 2003 | | Summary | Good leads masked by a thin story | Content
| Meg Tilly plays Olivia, a milquetoast of an heiress who may be in mortal danger in "Masquerade". Set among the rich and their tony sea-side mansions in the Hamptons, the story has Tilly as a softspoken yet beset heiress sharing a barely amicable existence with her wicked stepfather (John Glover) and his uh..witchy girlfriend. Olivia knows that millions are tied to her remaining alive, but she remains too innocent almost to the end of the movie - soothing herself by sailing her small boat on Long Island Sound (or is it the Atlantic?). Though often falling back for help on a childhood friend who now works as a local area cop (Doug Savant), she manages to find love with an impoverished charmer played by Rob Lowe. Is Lowe really in love with her? What is her stepfather up to? Can Savant protect Tilly? Unfortunately, while full of details, Masquerade never builds up suspense because it cashes in its chips too soon - the script has mysterious events remove potential threats to Olivia's existence, whether it's Glover or a very pre-"Sex and the City" Kim Catrall. By the middle of the movie, Lowe remains the only possible avenue of danger, but the thin script gives him no chemistry with Tilly. The final twist seems perfunctory - it is a surprise, but by then, who cares? It's a shame because we can see how Lowe and Tilly are trying to break out of the meaninglessness of their roles. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 18, 2003 | | Summary | Great Romantic Movie - wait for dvd format | Content
| This is My Favourite Lowe's movie, good story, great acting, and beautiful picture. I'm waiting for its dvd format, i don: |
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