Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Letters to Juliet



Redgrave is a gem!
I took a dear elder aged friend to this movie on a bad day in his life, hoping to distract him momentarily from events he couldn't do anything about. Instead, the movie re-invigorated both of us, and brought us repeatedly to tears. Say what you want about "feel good" movies, there are times when they are just what the doctor ordered!

Vanessa Redgrave is the heart of this film. The delicately fearless way she sets out to find her young lover, the grace with which she moves through the ups and downs of a process that could end in heartbreak, the care with which she brushes the young Sophie's hair...she is simply and purely lovely. Women d'un certain age should enjoy the possibilities she presents for aging beautifully.

I also suspect this movie was made after the death of Redgrave's daughter, Natasha Richardson, and so the scenes in which she calls Sophie "my darling" and loves her so freely are especially moving. Hollywood, listen up! Cast more Vanessa Redgraves,...

I am happy with "happy".
I went to this picture with my mom because I enjoy romantic films and adore Italian landscape. I was pleasantly surprised. The cast was absolutely charming, and I didn't come away with that "why did they have to put that in there" feeling. A true "feel good" movie. So many films go along nicely then suddenly BAM! an unexpected horribly sad plot twist. This gets worse than old at times. I'm a big Austen fan, and although she wrote with unexpected plot twists she always ends with a happy, if predictable, ending. And how do "her" film adaptations do?! Awesome! Let's hope hollywood learns something here. I hated to see the film end, and could have turned right around and watched it again. Way to Go! Some great young stars shine in this film. Hope to see them around again.

a crowd-pleasing chick film
This is the true story: In 19th century, people of Verona indicated a house as the residence of Juliet from William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." Later, in 1937, it became a tradition to go to Juliet's grave in Verona and leave Juliet a letter about one's love problems. In 1990s the amount of letters reached astronomical proportions and a group of volunteers, who call themselves "Club di Giulietta," took it upon themselves to answer each and every letter that's left for Juliet.

Enter Hollywood: A young woman named Sophie (played by Amanda Seyfried) on her pre-Honeymoon discovers a letter left unanswered since 1957 and decides to answer it. This sets in motion the entire movie and, lo and behold, the audience is following the film's characters through Italy's countryside in the search for one true love.

"Letters to Juliet" is a cute romantic comedy that has some pretty scenery and captures of Verona, Italy. The movie is rather unrealistic but in a nice,...

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