Synopsis: A young woman goes on an adventure with a grandmother and her grandson in order to find the grandmother’s long lost love in Tuscany.
Release Date: May 14, 2010 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Romance, Drama
Film Review
Production
Romance is alive and well once again thanks to this film. In the city of Verona, Italy, where Romeo met his Juliet, Sophie (Seyfried) and her fiance Victor (Bernal) are on vacation. A vacation they inadvertently are not spending together. Sophie is set to discover the city on her own and it leads her to Juliet’s balcony; and a letter left by a young girl, Claire, 50 years before asking for guidance in love. With the assistance of Juliet’s secretaries she answers the letter and to everyone’s shock and pleasant surprise Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) arrives in Verona to find her long lost first love. Thus begins the adventurous journey of Sophie, Claire, and Claire’s grandson Charlie, as they travel through Tuscany on a romantic endeavor so cleverly crafted it leaves you with a stupid grin on your face for hours after watching the film. The search for love lost but never forgotten and the subtle charm of new love found are weaved together in a story made for a viewer who wants to feel the butterflies in their stomach or the promise of a future filled with unexpected delight. This is a movie built upon love and anyone willing to let go and indulge themselves with easily fall in love with every single part of it.
Chemistry
A perfect ensemble cast has been selected and they make this film funny, sweet, charming, and delightful to watch. There are a multitude of connections between people but who holds the entire film together is Claire. Played by the (goddess) Vanessa Redgrave, every smile, laugh, sarcastic comment to her grandson, or even her motherly instincts towards Sophie make you wish she was your grandmother. It is undeniable how strong an amount of chemistry she has with Sophie and Charlie. As for Charlie and Sophie, the unlikely duo who are incredibly right for one another, they shine like two teenagers in love who have no idea how to handle the situation. Even the pairing of Sophie and her absentee fiance is flawless. The smile that warms Amanda Seyfried’s (Sophie) face when Victor is bouncing off the walls talking about wine and cheese and nonsense is genuine and unique. This is a case of perfect casting for a film and because of it a romantic drama/comedy that could have been catastrophic with its overly sentimental verbiage is instead irresistible.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Gary WinickCaroline KaplanPatrick Wachsberger
- Producer(s): Jose RiveraTim Sullivan
- Screenwriter(s): Amanda Seyfried (Sophie)Marcia DeBonis (Lorraine)Gael Garcia Bernal (Victor)
- Story: Vanessa Redgrave (Claire)
- Cast: Christopher Egan (Charlie) Bill PankowMarco PontecorvoStuart Wurtzel
- Editor(s): Nicoletta Ercole
- Cinematographer: Andrea Guerra
- Production Designer(s):
- Costume Designer:
- Casting Director(s):
- Music Score:
- Music Performed By:
- Country Of Origin: USA
