Drama

Romance

Thriller

Masquerade

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

United States of America

Français

English

Rob Lowe

Meg Tilly

Kim Cattrall

Doug Savant

John Glover

Dana Delany

Bruce Tuthill

Brian Davies

Barton Heyman

Bernie McInerney

Pirie MacDonald

Maeve McGuire

Ira Wheeler

Timothy Landfield

Edwin Bordo

James Caulfield

Dick Wolf

Nada Rowand

Bob Swaim

Matt Norklun

Lillian O. MacNeill

Kevin O'Connell

Michael I. Levy

Louis Sabat

David Watkin

John Boxer

Scott Conrad

Kelliann Ladd

William C. Gerrity

John Barry

Jeff Bushelman

Cliff Kohlweck

Steven J. Jordan

Wallis Nicita

Kirk Schuler

Joanne Zaluski

John Kasarda

Tom Priestley Jr.

Bob Grimaldi

Carl Mahakian

Peter Hock

Terry Ladin

Tom O'Donnell Jr.

S. Karin Epstein

Conrad 'Connie' F. Brink

Irving Buchman

William L. Stevenson

Donald O. Mitchell

Rick Kline

Gary Shepherd

Dan Davis

Richard Raderman

James Sabat

Sandy Richman

"Masquerade" is a perfect piece of entertainment which has been heavily influenced by and made in the spirit of the classic film noir from the 1940's, although with some additional modern day factors - sex and violence and some nudity - to help attract an audience. The closing moments of this film are also very arresting, especially when we discover the revelation that no matter how their relationship may have begun Tim (Rob Lowe) really did fall in love with Olivia (Meg Tilly) and not just her money and as you would expect this incredibly well paced film - like many others preceding it - benefits greatly from John Barry's haunting musical score which has been beautifully tinged with a memorably subtle and a genuinely heartfelt melancholia.

**_Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to…_** 

A wealthy heiress in the Hamptons (Meg Tilly) falls for a handsome yacht captain (Rob Lowe), but there are human vultures seeking her fortune. John Glover plays her jerk stepfather while Doug Savant is on hand as a friend from her youth who’s also a local police officer.

"Masquerade" (1988) is a ‘hip’ drama/romance with crime thrills and sweet Long Island locations, not to mention sailing sequences. It bombed at the box office because the studio was in chaos and the president’s wife hated “all that sex,” which resulted in Lowe not starring in another studio film for years. 

Aside from Meg on the female front, there’s Kim Cattrall as the yacht-owner’s adulterous wife and Dana Delany as the girlfriend of the stepfather. There are a couple of R-rated sex sequences and the corresponding nudity.

As a plus, there’s a good message on the power of love to redeem a person from corruption. But there’s just so much duplicity going on it’s hard to relate to most of the characters. It’s almost comical how the heiress remains blitheful while evil people are swooping all around her. More reality and less movie-isms would’ve made for a better film. Still, it’s worth checking out if the above piques your interest. 

It runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot on Long Island (Riverhead, Sag Harbor, Shelter Island, Southampton Village and Broadview) with some bits in Manhattan.

GRADE: B-

Masquerade (1988) Original Trailer [FHD]

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Masquerade

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Cast

Rob Lowe

Meg Tilly

Kim Cattrall

Doug Savant

John Glover

Dana Delany

Bruce Tuthill

Brian Davies

Barton Heyman

Bernie McInerney

Box office

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