Virgil Oldman, a wealthy art auctioneer, takes the help of a young artificer, Robert, to understand and woo Claire Ibbetson, a young heiress, who hires him to auction off an antique collection.
The story reminds us of John Fowles' The Magus, but such wooden acting, bad direction, cliched dialogue and poor editing just annoy us. The film starts promisingly and, for those who attend art auctions, has curious details. It's kinda erudite movie throughout, including sumptuous settings, historical quotes, and Ennio Morricone's musical score. But the plot defies all patience & logic. Silly twists follow. And BTW the roles called for actors totally different from Geoffrey Rush and Donald Sutherland.