The premise is great: a chickflick with romance, Vanessa Redgrave and above all, beautiful Tuscany...
Sounds great, right?
Well, the movie itself is a big disappointment in terms of plot and predictability. It was so sugary and that left me with cavities after watching it.
The only things that really are awesome are: Vanessa (love her) and one of my favorite places in the world: Italy.
Italy made this so special that I would have watched this movie even if it didn't have a plot. Let's say I would have loved if it was just a "Tuscany postcard video".
I did go to Verona many years ago and absolutely loved it.
One good thing about this movie was the addition of the extras. I just discovered, with dismay, that this house is a complete hoax. Never belonged to Juliet's family. It was a creation from an Italian to bring more tourism to Verona. The house was embellished with original medieval pieces = the balcony was made out of a medieval coffin!
Just illusion, people, just illusion...
But oh well, let's go back to the movie.
Vanessa Redgrave is awesome. I actually did meet her years ago when I was an extra for one of her movies that was shot in New York: "Cradle will Rock". Needless to say I was completely starstruck, in awe of that really tall woman. She just looked at me and smiled very warmly. I will never forget her.
She saves the weak plot and illuminates the screen.
The other actors: namely Amanda Seyfried and Christopher Egan gave wooden performances at best. Sensed no chemistry between them. Blah!
One of the biggest surprises was when they found (SPOILER, no, no really. We knew that that would happen, non?), Vanessas long lost beau:
I was like:"I know this guy!", then i did realize it was Franco Nero, the one from the cheesy good looks, famous for those spaghetti westerns from the 60s. He was pretty weel-known in Brazil, but I don't think that he is a household name outside of Europe.
Here he is, back in the day. I did actually recognized him because of those piercing blue eyes!
I have to say that they both aged very well, considering that Vanessa is 73 and Franco is like 68.
I am a movie buff and really didn't know that they had an affair back in the 60s, had a son together AND after so many years and so many relationships, they are actually MARRIED now! They got married in 2006 - after all those years!
THAT should become a movie, not this sugary Italian pastry of "Letters to Juliet".
At least the final outcome was positive: gorgeous views, and discovering that actual women answer the little notes left on the fake Juliet's house... You can read more about these letters and who answers them here: this article at The New York Times.
Ciao amici!
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