Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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205 of 217 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Painless Art History Course - and mystery, July 2, 2004
UNCOVERED is a ten year old film, popular in its co-producing countries of the UK and Spain, and is finally available here for those who want to see 'early Kate Bekinsale'. The story weaves around an art restorer (Bekinsale) who finds bizarre clues in the underpainting of an old Flemish master painting that is being prepared for sale by a once rich/now destitute family. The art restorer has been raised by a fey gentleman who turns out to be part the current family requesting the restoration. As she carefully uncovers the surface of the painting and has it xrayed, she finds clues to a mystery of a murder, a murder that slowly is recreated around her. This is a good little mystery whose solution is tightly pigmented in a rather beautiful painting and a game of chess, which is the centerpiece of the painting. The cast, including Kate Bekinsale, is good if a bit campy: John Wood, Sinead Cusack, Paudge Behan, Art Malik, James Villiers, Michael Gough. But the real star of the film is the beauty of Barcelona, Spain - the setting for the story. Gaudi is everywhere! The lighting is gorgeous and the cinematography excellent. There are things with which one can quibble, not the least the techniques used by the art restoration advisors, but the one major fault with this film is the sound track. The music is abominable and the ambient sound is so loud that it sounds like a home movie instead of a professional production: you have to strain to hear the dialogue over the street sounds outside the rooms. Still in all, this is an entertaining movie, worth a watch.
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139 of 149 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Kate Beckinsale - uncovered!, October 5, 2004
This an entertaining although significantly contrived story that has a certain winning charm to it. The primary selling point is Kate Beckinsale, and this movie is a must for all Kate fans out there (you know who you are!).
The plot centers around a murder mystery that originates from a (previously hidden) inscription on a painting that is hundreds of years old. There is one scene that stands out above all others, where Kate is gazing at the painting. NOT ONLY does she look fantastic topless, but there is also a nice bit of symbolism in how the removal of her clothes = the uncovering of the inscription & offers a "revealation" of sorts.
This deciphering of a mystery that is the center of the film, and that scene is the "heart" of the movie. While some may feel it was an excuse for gratuitous nudity, I really think it had some symbolic relevance. But, that's just me.
When you boil it down, this film will attract people who are fans of one or more of the following three things: Kate Beckinsale, chess and murder mysteries. People who are into art & art history might perchance be attracted to this film as well. Those who enjoy it may also want to check out KNIGHT MOVES starring Christopher Lambert.
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47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A decent mystery and a star "uncovered", February 23, 2004
So far as I can tell, this little-known British/Spanish production had never been shown or otherwise made available in the United States prior to the release of this DVD. I first saw it on an imported videotape with Portugese subtitles. More than likely, it is being released in the U.S. now to capitalize on Kate Beckinsale's increasingly high profile. Its most noteworthy feature is the appearance of its comely star nude in no less than three scenes, her only such exposure to date. Viewers whose main interest is seeing Ms. Beckinsale "uncovered" will not be disappointed. However, the movie itself is not so bad either. Although a little rough by Hollywood standards, it offers a decent murder mystery with an interesting twist. Beckinsale plays Julia, a rising star in the world of art restoration. An aristocratic family commissions her to work on a Renaissance painting that has been in their possession for over 500 years. It depicts two men playing chess while a woman watches in the background. Julia quickly discovers that the painting has been altered and contains clues to the murder of one of the chess players. As soon as Julia grows curious about this 500 year-old crime, someone begins killing people close to her. She can only conclude that solving the ancient mystery will provide the key to her present-day horrors. While Julia continues to coax hidden details from the painting, she enlists the aid of a truly unique character. She hires Domenec (Paudge Behan), a sort of "chess bum," to work out the details of the game in the painting -- the moves that brought the pieces to where they are and the likely outcome of the game. The bohemian Domenick makes his living hustling high-stakes chess games (huh?). His surfer-with-a-brain appearance and lifestyle provide both a foil and an eventual romantic allure for the uptight Julia. From there, it becomes a race between this unlikely duo and the killer. They must solve the mystery before more people, including Julia herself, are murdered.
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