Rob Lowe in a change-of-pace role
Masquerade” was marketed originally as a starring vehicle for Rob Lowe, who had impressed moviegoers with his performances in “The Outsiders,” “St. Elmo’s Fire,” and “About Last Night.” The film marked an interesting choice for Lowe, who undertook a role quite different from his earlier screen parts. With inspiration from classic film noir, “Masquerade” centers on characters that are not always who you think they are.<br /><br />Olivia Lawrence (Meg Tilly) has not had an easy life. Her father died when she was 12 and her mother died just a few months before the story opens. She lives in a sprawling mansion in the Hamptons with her mother’s fourth husband, constantly drunk Tony Gateworth (John Glover, “The Good Fight”). Olivia hates him but can’t get him out of the house because of a provision in her mother’s will.<br /><br />Home after graduating from a women’s college, Olivia spends her days and evenings at parties and dances among her late parents’ conservative friends. She runs into Mike McGill (Doug Savant, “Desperate Housewives”), an old friend who declared his wish to marry back when they were both schoolchildren. Mike is now a local cop and his affection for her hasn’t faded. She feels otherwise although she still values his friendship. One night at a dance, she meets Tim Whalan (Rob Lowe), the handsome skipper of a racing sailboat owned by a local millionaire. Tim has been sleeping with the millionaire’s wife, Brooke Morrison (Kim Cattrall, “Sex and the City”), but falls in love with Olivia after a few dates. Gateworth gets wind of the romance and is not shy in expressing his suspicions that the penniless Tim is more interested in Olivia’s money than in herself.<br /><br />Gateworth announces to Olivia that he will be away for weekend, she invites Tim to visit her, and while they are asleep in her bed Gateworth bursts in on them in a drunken rage. A struggle ensues and Tim shoots him. This sets the scene for attempts to cover up what actually happened, the police investigation, and revelations about the characters and their motivations that were not previously clear.<br /><br />Director Bob Swaim and screenwriter Dick Wolf (TV’s “Law & Order”) have crafted a puzzle in which the pieces don’t seem to fit until, one by one, they fall into place. A few surprises occur that are both clever and shocking, taking the trajectory of the plot in an unforeseeable direction. Though the film is only 91 minutes long, a lot happens and suspense builds as Olivia and Tim attempt to rebound from the killing of Gateworth.<br /><br />Lowe is physically right as Tim, a sportsman whose easy manner and pleasantness charm the wealthy people whose company he cultivates. He gives an economical performance with creepy shadings, defying the pretty-boy persona that critics declared was all he was capable of. His romantic scenes with Tilly have heat, while his dalliances with Brooke Morrison have a mechanical quality. He loves one woman and simply goes through the motions with the other. Lowe plays Tim in low-key fashion. Tim is among his betters, knows it, and doesn’t want to endanger his relationship with Olivia. He knows her friends will assume he’s a gold digger and feels he must prove himself constantly.<br /><br />Tilly plays Olivia as an innocent, befitting the character’s conservative Catholic background. Trusting and gullible, she is easily kept in the dark about the multiple intrigues that revolve around her. She is caught up in her own dreaminess as a young woman experiencing adult love for the first time with Tim. This is a flaw in the film. Olivia seems a bit too clueless as occurrences point toward treachery.<br /><br />Doug Savant goes through some interesting changes as the local cop. Glover’s performance is over the top, with histrionics that border on cartoonish. Gateworth is an obvious villain — vulgar, drunk, with a sense of arrogant entitlement. We get that he’s a reprehensible character well before his shouting and verbal abuse of Olivia. Dana Delaney (“China Beach”) in a small role as Gateworth’s girlfriend has a key scene in which she provides critical information to the police. With the death of Gateworth, she’s bitter about losing her chance to move up in the world.<br /><br />There are some lulls midway through the film and the second half might strain credibility with its many twists, but overall the movie is a satisfying mystery.<br /><br />Bonus materials on the R-rated Blu-ray release from Kino-Lorber are an audio commentary and several theatrical trailers.<br /><br />“Masquerade” is an entertaining mystery that keeps us involved and manages to stay way ahead of us as the plot unfolds. Cleverly scripted and well acted, the movie is about an outsider, both embraced and resented, and his journey from hired hand to high society.
The movie title "Masquerade [Blu-ray]," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.3 from 428 reviewers. 
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This title falls under the categories of Movies & TV, Featured Categories, Blu-ray and Mystery & Thrillers. 
The additional details include the following in key-value format :
 {"Genre": "Thriller", "Format": "Blu-ray", "Contributor": "Bob Swaim, Meg Tilly, Rob Lowe, Dana Delany, Kim Cattrall", "Language": "English", "Runtime": "1 hour and 31 minutes", "Aspect Ratio": "1.85:1", "MPAA rating": "R (Restricted)", "Package Dimensions": "6.77 x 5.31 x 0.28 inches; 0.01 Ounces", "Director": "Bob Swaim", "Media Format": "Blu-ray", "Run time": "1 hour and 31 minutes", "Release date": "September 21, 2021", "Actors": "Rob Lowe, Meg Tilly, Kim Cattrall, Dana Delany", "Subtitles": "English", "Studio": "KL Studio Classics", "Country of Origin": "USA", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : Rob Lowe (Youngblood, St. Elmo’s Fire, About Last Night), Meg Tilly (The Big Chill, Agnes of God, Impulse) and Kim Cattrall (Unforgettable, Mannequin, TV’s Sex and the City) ignite the screen in this sexually charged mystery about a wealthy woman who falls for the wrong man. Olivia (Tilly) seems to have it all: good looks, good breeding and a two-hundred-million-dollar fortune. But behind the serene façade of her Easthampton seaside estate, something is missing: passion. Enter Tim (Lowe), the sexy sailing instructor and playboy who’s not ashamed of sleeping with his boss’ insatiable wife (Cattrall) or social climbing for sport. And when he sets his sights on Olivia, she falls under the seductive spell of this handsome stranger, unaware that he has his eye on more than just her beauty—and his mind on something unimaginable! Written by renowned TV producer Dick Wolf (Law & Order, Chicago Fire) and directed by Bob Swaim (Half Moon Street, La Balance), this sizzling thriller features Doug Savant (TV’s Melrose Place), John Glover (52 Pick-Up) and Dana Delany (Exit to Eden) in supporting roles..