Reviews (12)

Slick, stylish thriller
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.

Masquerade
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.

Good leads masked by a thin story
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.

Great Romantic Movie - wait for dvd format
This is My Favourite Lowe's movie, good story, great acting, and beautiful picture. I'm waiting for its dvd format, i don: A Thriller to the End
This is Rob Lowe's best work. It shows just how talented an actor he is. All of the acting is superb. John Glover is dispicable, but good. The sailing photography is gorgeous. The sailing lingo is right on. It's a twisting movie that keeps one guessing until the very end. Now, if we could only get it in DVD with outtakes. When is the studio going to wake up! ... Read more

Description

The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" continues his penetrating exploration of family relationships in this powerful, poetic drama. In a large, elegant sitting room, a famous man lies dying behind a discreet hospital screen. Reporters and television crews are waiting downstairs to record the event for posterity, while gathered in the "death chamber" are the great man’s wife, mistress, son, daughter, and best friend – the family lawyer. A beautifully orchestrated play, full of reminiscences and dreams, in which the characters interact within a defined ritual society has forced them to play. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Albee's 1971 Meditation on Death
Albee's 1971 meditation on death is a challenging work. It takes a delicate balance to bring the poetry of the text to life and to enrich the characters on stage without getting lost in the static nature of the unfolding drama. In a very quiet way, this play has as many barbs as "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" but contains only a fraction of the humor that is in "Virginia Woolf". The subject of death runs through every thread of the play and presents variations on the theme through the characters and their identities and conflicts.
This 1976 television production (originally staged for the theatre by the Hartford Stage Company and taped for Connecticut Public Television) suffers from an overall stiffness in the acting ensemble and an unfortunate restraint in the approach that works against sustaining interest for the viewer but there are good performances. Myra Carter as the Mistress and Anne Lynn as the Daughter are two tall Albee women to be reckoned with.

Since it is unlikely that this play will appear on DVD again (unless a Broadway revival were to revive interest), this is a disc worth collecting if for no other reason than to enjoy Edward Albee's fascinating dialogue and to retain a production of this play. ... Read more