I missed this when it was on Masterpiece Theater originally, actually had never even heard of it. But the premise sounded interesting, I really like mysteries that involve events that happened long before, so I gave it a try. And I have to say I really enjoyed it.The performances were all good and earnest and as a result the movie was diverting even though the plot was preposterous. There are many twists and turns and much globe hopping involved. Helen Mirren, who I could watch read the phone book, carries off several different persona's for her character and they all appear effortless. But her character is one of those fantasies who, despite having a history of near-fatal substance abuse which also destroyed her career, is irresistible to all she meets, to the extent that an ex-boyfriend hands over a gun to her, no questions asked.Another plot issue involves the Franco Nero character. While it is intriguing to imagine a mysterious art connection going back to WWII, Franco Nero was only about five years old when the events involved took place, including a homosexual love affair. Yeah, that is a problem. But the implausible plot is made semi-believable by the fine acting by all involved. And the sets are great.So if you are willing to suspend your disbelief and you like convoluted mysteries with a historical twist, this is definitely an entertaining way to spend a few hours.

I watched this on TV over a decade ago, kept a tape of it at whose spine I looked fondly from time to time, and finally saw it again on Netflix with my husband last night. He was not immediately enthralled (though I was, all over again). After the first hour or so, we had to keep watching as the suspense and loose ends multiply, and I had forgotten the twists and turns. I love way the plot works out and the loose ends are tied up. On second viewing, however, with a more critical companion, I realized how absurd some of the best plot developments and most memorable scenes actually are.At some level, the production works because of the way it is haunted by images of Baroque paintings, saints in various violent and twisted poses and situations. The love of art is intense in many of the characters, and when Maggie finally sees Artemesia's Judith canvas her face tells us that this violent, even horrible scene is beautiful. (Another important painting in the story is a Goya bullfight scene.) As in a Caravaggio painting, the faces--the performances--stand out as realistic, everyday people, recognizable in the street (or at least the streets of drama)--they are complex, confused, liable to do stupid things or to misunderstand a given situation completely. Many of them are obsessed by symbols, too--Charles dies at the beginning of the story because he cannot bear to see his long-dead wife's rather ugly portrait damaged; Maggie carries her father's cigarette case like a fetish. The way these characters meet each other and interact in the gloom of the plot is beautiful and moving. But their motivations remain murky and incomprehensible.Mirren performs a fabulous double role--Maggie the tough streetwise bohemian earth-mother artist and her alter ego The Countess, whose knowledge, apparent prosperity, and aristocratic manner hide a terrible fragility. Maggie is of course acting the role of The Countess, worrying that the mask may slip, but her sister at one point implies that she is also acting the role of Maggie. Maggie lives in her own world, a world of music, in which emotional attachments last a long time and give life shape and meaning. That "explains" everything.

Helen Mirren is always a joy to watch as she gets her chops around a part. I think she had fun here tramping skillfully through several cultures, costumes, and accents. It looks like she can sing, too. The Irish bit got lost along the way, however. The house and scenery are great wherever we are. And there are some pretty good supporting players on the trip. I think the writing on the initial screenplay sounds like it was good, from the featurette on the DVD, but somewhere along the road, either in the directing or the editing perhaps, something essential got lost. My willing suspension of disbelief went with it. Nice try, sort of fun to watch, except for Nero, who should burn with shame for his hamfisted acting. Why would Helen ever fall for him?!

Maggie Sheridan, a semi-retired singer, is the first to find the body of Charles Stafford, a war veteran who is like a father to her.When it is apparent that Stafford was killed during a robbery, people stealing artworks from his home, Maggie goes to all lengths to find the killer of Charles, and to buy back the one painting that the robbers got away with. She travels to London to see her half-sister Suzie and brother-in-law Oliver, and eventually travels to New York under a fake name and passport, becoming an unscrupulous Polish art dealer named Megdalena Krasinska, and there, finds out more than she bargained for...The twists and turns in this film's plot, as well as the gritty portrayal of the illegal art world make this an excellent film in the thriller and drama genres. The plot is full of suspense and tension, yet full of lovely, friendly, fun, realistic characters at the same time.Helen Mirren in this film is at her best since Prime Suspect (or so the trailer says - but I don't know if I can rate all her perfect performances like that), and Franco Nero is hypnotically appealing as the Italian-but-living-in-New-York dealer, Roberto Tassi.And now, hoping that you will take my advice and go hire this if you can, I leave you with my favorite quote from the whole movie:[Oliver Peel returns home from work(?)to hear 'Wild Thing' playing incredibly loudly on his stereo. Unbeknown to him Maggie has been given keys to their home by her sister Suzie, his wife. He walks into another room and then reappears, weilding a cricket bat above his head...he pounds up the stairs, throws open the bathroom door and... ...there is Maggie, lying in the bath, hair all wrapped up in a towel, completely naked, smoking a ciggarette...]Maggie: Good match?Oliver (lowing the bat): Rain stopped play.10 out of 10!!!!!!!!!!