Shale
Bluelighter
Letters to Juliet
Movie Blurb by Shale
May 14, 2010
I did this report some time ago but just watched the DVD again last nite. I recommend it for those who like romantic dramas, but my connection is kinda personal.
This is the usual formulaic romantic escapism that I enjoy. You know, where disparate, even bickering people eventually find their common ground and fall in love.
However, this movie has a couple of love stories progressing across generations and having been young and old, it doubly appeals to me.
It starts with the young, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) a fact checker for the New Yorker magazine who is engaged to a Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal) who is opening an Italian restaurant in New York. They are taking a vacation to Tuscany - she sees it as a pre-honeymoon, he sees it as a wine, cheese, truffle tasting expedition to make contacts for his new restaurant.
Ends up Victor and Sophie are separated for the whole trip while he goes tasting all over Italy and she is stuck in Verona, the town made famous by Shakespeare's play of tragic lovers Romeo & Juliet.
While there, Sophie falls in with the Secretaries of Juliet (they really exist) who answer the letters left by the lovelorn at the site of the famous balcony. Sophie finds a letter left there in 1957 by Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) a student in Italy bemoaning her having to return to England and leave her lover, Lorenzo behind.
Sofie Finds Claire's Letter
The Secretaries allow Sophie to answer that letter - and of course it gets a response when the elderly Claire decides to return to Italy and see whatever came of her young love. Oh, she is accompanied by her down-to-earth, unromantic grandson Charlie (Christopher Egan) who is very aggravated at Sophie for ever bringing up the lost lover.
But, Claire being an old romantic sees the same in young Sophie and allows her to tag along on their search for Lorenzo so she can write her first article. And, this being that kind of movie, you know that along the way Charlie will soften and fall in love with Sophie.
(No spoiler warnings needed - it's written in the formula - and seen in the trailers)
Sophie, Claire and Charlie Find Friendship
Also you know that eventually Claire will find her lover of half a century past (also seen in the trailers) when Lorenzo (the very handsome Franco Nero) comes riding up on a horse at his Tuscan estate.
Claire Finds Lorenzo
The rest is just cleaning up loose ends (Remember Victor, Sophie's fiancé). Well, you don't need an answer from Juliet to see this coming - who goes with their fiancé to Tuscany and doesn't spend every night keeping the neighbors awake?
Sophie & Victor Find They're Never Together
The end of the movie kinda dragged the conflicted lovers scenes out a bit. We already know how it ends, don't need so many false starts. But otherwise if you are into these kinds of flicks this was a good one. I mean, it is more about the characters than the actual story and Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero make a beautiful couple, on screen or off.
Movie Blurb by Shale
May 14, 2010
I did this report some time ago but just watched the DVD again last nite. I recommend it for those who like romantic dramas, but my connection is kinda personal.
This is the usual formulaic romantic escapism that I enjoy. You know, where disparate, even bickering people eventually find their common ground and fall in love.
However, this movie has a couple of love stories progressing across generations and having been young and old, it doubly appeals to me.
It starts with the young, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) a fact checker for the New Yorker magazine who is engaged to a Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal) who is opening an Italian restaurant in New York. They are taking a vacation to Tuscany - she sees it as a pre-honeymoon, he sees it as a wine, cheese, truffle tasting expedition to make contacts for his new restaurant.
Ends up Victor and Sophie are separated for the whole trip while he goes tasting all over Italy and she is stuck in Verona, the town made famous by Shakespeare's play of tragic lovers Romeo & Juliet.
While there, Sophie falls in with the Secretaries of Juliet (they really exist) who answer the letters left by the lovelorn at the site of the famous balcony. Sophie finds a letter left there in 1957 by Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) a student in Italy bemoaning her having to return to England and leave her lover, Lorenzo behind.
Sofie Finds Claire's Letter
The Secretaries allow Sophie to answer that letter - and of course it gets a response when the elderly Claire decides to return to Italy and see whatever came of her young love. Oh, she is accompanied by her down-to-earth, unromantic grandson Charlie (Christopher Egan) who is very aggravated at Sophie for ever bringing up the lost lover.
But, Claire being an old romantic sees the same in young Sophie and allows her to tag along on their search for Lorenzo so she can write her first article. And, this being that kind of movie, you know that along the way Charlie will soften and fall in love with Sophie.
(No spoiler warnings needed - it's written in the formula - and seen in the trailers)
Sophie, Claire and Charlie Find Friendship
Also you know that eventually Claire will find her lover of half a century past (also seen in the trailers) when Lorenzo (the very handsome Franco Nero) comes riding up on a horse at his Tuscan estate.
Claire Finds Lorenzo
The rest is just cleaning up loose ends (Remember Victor, Sophie's fiancé). Well, you don't need an answer from Juliet to see this coming - who goes with their fiancé to Tuscany and doesn't spend every night keeping the neighbors awake?
Sophie & Victor Find They're Never Together
The end of the movie kinda dragged the conflicted lovers scenes out a bit. We already know how it ends, don't need so many false starts. But otherwise if you are into these kinds of flicks this was a good one. I mean, it is more about the characters than the actual story and Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero make a beautiful couple, on screen or off.
