Review of film: “LETTERS TO JULIET”

2010, 04-07:  

Review of film:  “LETTERS TO JULIET”

Director:

Gary Winick

Writers:

Jose Rivera

Tim Sullivan

Starring:

Amanda Seyfried     ...        Sophie

Christopher Egan    ...         Charlie Wyman

Gael García Bernal             

Vanessa Redgrave  ...         Claire Wyman

Franco Nero  ...         Lorenzo Bartolini

Ashley Lilley ...         Patricia

Anna Kuchma          ...         Business Woman at the Bryant Park

Lidia Biondi   ...         Donatella

Daniel Baldock         ...         Lorenzo

Milena Vukotic                    

Luisa Ranieri            ...         Secretary

MPAA Rating:

PG for brief rude behavior, some language and incidental smoking.

Quotes:

MY Rating:

8.5 of 10 stars (based on an advance screening of the approx. 105-minute film scheduled for release 5-14-10).

              Will the RIGHT “Romeo” please “Stand Up” & be FOUND?!...

An American girl named Sophie (AMANDA SEYFRIED) is on vacation in Italy...

...  In a Verona courtyard, she visits a place that supposedly was the “impetus” for Shakespeare’s play ROMEO AND JULIET” about star-crossed lovers...  At that location, she finds that people leave LETTERS, hoping to get some response about problems with their love lives... 

...  Amanda finds there are THOUSANDS of such letters left there each year (stuck inbetween bricks in a wall), and that there are a group of ladies – the "secretaries of Juliet" – who take it upon themselves to ANSWER the letters “anonymously”...  Fascinated, Amanda gets to KNOW the secretaries, & tries to “help” them in their task...

...  Sort of “involved” with this is one of the letter-writers named Claire Wyman (VANESSA REDGRAVE), who (per her letter written in 1957) is hoping to find a “LOST LOVE” from long ago named Lorenzo Bartolino (FRANCO NERO)... 

...  Amanda tries to HELP Vanessa in her quest (CONTACTING her after reading her letter & urging her to return to Italy to search for her old love)...

...  Vanessa does GO BACK to Italy, & that leads Amanda to meet Vanessa’s son, Charlie (CHRISTOPHER EGAN)... 

...  He is quite against his mother’s efforts, feeling she’s WASTING her time, & doesn’t like the fact that Amanda is in-effect being an “ENABLER” to his mom’s time-wasting efforts (which he fears will lead to her feeling more HURT in life)...

...  Amanda likes the idea of Vanessa’s caring so much about an old love.  And, since Christopher is quite handsome, she starts to “FALL” for him all the while he’s trying to convince her to stop encouraging his mom in her quest...

...  Will Vanessa be able to find the “RIGHT” guy she remembers from long ago, &, if so, what will “HAPPEN” between them?...  What will happen between Amanda & Chris in their relationship?...

...  It’s a “simple” story, & sounds sort of “cheesy” when described in general terms...  But, the ACTING is good, the characters turn out to be very likable, & thus the film comes across as sweet, periodically humorous, quite charming, & --  surprisingly – it really “WORKS” (which is why I rated it as I did)…

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