Rating: 
Summary: Great Romantic Thriller: 4½ stars
Review: "Masquerade" takes places in a beautiful East Coast town, where a young, naive heiress, Olivia Lawrence (played by Meg Tilly), falls for a poor professional sailor, Tim Whalen (Rob Lowe). Olivia is without a family (her parents died, and she's an only child), but her detested, alcoholic stepfather, Tony Gateworth (John Glover), still hangs around. Unbeknown to her, Tony is in cahoots with Tim to swindle her out of her millions. Yet this secret is just a first of many to develop in this romantic thriller."Masquerade" has been a favorite of mine since I was a teenager, though I did deduct a ½ star for the ridiculous boat accident with the rat at the end (poor rat). Regardless, this movie has everything: a great setting, suspenseful plot, heated romance, and a pretty good conclusion to satisfy most viewers. Rated R for several sex/nude scenes (Rob Lowe's derriere is visible quite a bit, for those who are interested) and some profanity.
Rating: 
Summary: Underated Classic deserves to be Re-discovered
Review: A brilliant spellbinding thriller in the genre of classic Film Noir, directed by Bob Swaim, winner of several French Cesars for his now classic French film, La Balance. Like in La Balance, Swaim's European sensibilities mixed with his American pacing makes this film not only one of the great suspenseful thrillers of the 80's but perhaps one of the most original. It's Meg Tilly's hottest, sexiest film and Rob Lowe's most convincing portrayal of a complex and contradictory character. Aside from being incredibly sexy, the film is full of twists and turns that keep the audience guessing. Why don't they make films like that, anymore? And what ever happened to Bob Swaim? The supporting roles are fabulous, particularly John Glover and Dana Delanny who give one of the best performances of their careers. Truly a classic, this underrated film deserves to be re-discovered.
Rating:
Summary: Slick, stylish thriller
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Masquerade
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: BEST MOVIE OF THE 80'S
Review: I saw it more than once and i like it a lot. Too bad that are not making movies like this anymore.
Rating:
Summary: WONDERFULLY ROMANTIC!!!!!
Review: I saw this film years ago, and I never forgot it. It's a great film, and I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: Masquerade Ball
Review: Masquerade is a solid mystery thriller, that despite a few story flaws, works well and would probably make Hitchcock proud.
Olivia Laurence (Jennifer Tilly) seems to have it all: living the good life with fine breeding and a two-hundred-million-dollar fortune after her mother dies. Behind the facade of the well known East Hampton seaside estate, she must deal with her dubious stepfather Tony (John Glover) and his double dealings. Her life is also one without passion. Enter Tim Whalen (Rob Lowe), a good looking sailing instructor and playboy who's not ashamed of sleeping with his boss' insatiable wife Brooke (Kim Cattrall) or social climbing just for the fun of it. And when he sets his sights on Olivia, she falls instantly under the spell of this handsome stranger, unaware that he has his eye on more than just her beauty.
No one could play the smarmy "playboy" type in the 80's/early 90's the way Lowe did. This time though, he gives Whalen a bit more compexity, and he's up to the task--turning in a good performance. Before she became the breathless sexy siren she is today, Tilly is superb as Olivia, coming across as strong and vulnerable at the same time. Director Bob Swaim is pretty good at creating tension and suprise--keeping you guessing. The script comes from Dick Wolf (The man responsible for the Law & Order TV franchise) and Larry Brody and is quite good as a puzzle and the game of misdirection. There is one twist though I spotted from a mile away and it brings it down some a bit--but thankfully not enough to ruin things overall. Special mention must be made of composer John Barry's score that helps to seal the deal.
The only extra on the DVD is the theatrical trailer. The movie may not exactly warrant purchase per se` But, it is worth the rental, for those fighting off boredom.
Rating:
Summary: MASQUERADE IS ROB LOWE'S BEST MOVIE!!!
Review: MASQUERADE IS ROB LOWE'S BEST MOVIE!!! Rob Lowe is at the top of his game in MASQUERADE, young, handsome, and in a part made to order for him as a boat captain for the rich. Meg Tilly is also excellent as the poor little rich girl who falls in love with Lowe, John Glover is sensational as her scheming stepfather, Doug Savant--gay Matt from MELROSE PLACE--is terrific as the bad cop who loves Tilly, and Kim Cattrall is as good as ever as the pretty cheating wife she always seems to play. MASQUERADE's photography is great, John Barry's music is great, Bob Swaim's direction is great, and the movie's only flaw is that it would have been better if had been a little longer and had a little more information about the characters, but even so, Rob Lowe's unusual looks--the wide cheekbones, the hair, the well proportioned body--and perfectly matched role with Tilly make MASQUERADE an irrestible showcase for his underrated dramatic acting. MASQUERADE IS ROB LOWE'S BEST MOVIE!!! Chari Krishnan
RESEARCHKING
Rating: 
Summary: Good leads masked by a thin story
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Good leads masked by a thin story
Review: 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.
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