Under the Tuscan Sun (Full Screen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: cloudy skies over Italy
Review:


Though officially based on a true story - the autobiographical bestseller by Frances Mayes - "Under the Tuscan Sun" plays like one of those slick fiction "women's pictures" (now called "chick flicks") from the 1950's and 1960's in which a beautiful woman (usually played by Lana Turner or Jean Seberg), unlucky in the ways of love, heads to Europe in the hopes of finding true romance in the arms of the heavily-accented man of her dreams.

This glossy, shallow and superficial soap opera stars Diane Lane as Frances, a semi-successful writer who discovers that her husband is cheating on her with another woman. After the divorce, in which somehow the husband has managed to finagle almost everything including the house away from her as part of the settlement, Frances agrees to go on a gay bus tour through Italy that two lesbian friends have set up for her. While on a stopover in Tuscany, the usually far-from-impulsive Frances decides, on the spur of the moment, to purchase a villa replete with bad plumbing and acres upon acres of olive trees. Without any discernible source of income to make it all possible, Frances divides her time between making major repairs on the place and cavorting all over the Italian countryside, having "adventures" with the colorful native and immigrant population and falling under the spell of the handsome young Italian who always seems to be just waiting in the wings in stories such as these. But is he really the right man for her? Needless to say, with all this going on, we don't see this "author" getting a whole lot of writing done during this overseas sojourn (though, at the end, we find that she`s somehow managed - apparently off-camera - to write a whole book about her experiences here).

Diane Lane is so fine an actress that she is able to make even this hokey pablum almost believable at times. For the most part, though, the film is a case of missed opportunities. For instance, nothing whatsoever is done with the gay tour aspect of the plot (one suspects that the film might have been more interesting had Frances STAYED on the bus rather than gotten off, as I`m sure a group of gay guys would have known how to have more fun in Italy than she does), and Frances' own story winds up taking a back seat to a bland Romeo and Juliet-type subplot and a whole host of stereotypical minor characters. Every time Lane begins to bring some depth and reality to her character, the romantic fantasy trappings pile on to overwhelm her.

Apart from Lane's performance and the eye-popping views of the Italian landscape, "Under the Tuscan Sun" offers little for the non-armchair traveler to feast on.

Rating:
Summary: High-art!
Review: I must say, i avoided this movie like the plague for a year. It was deemed to me to be just a sacchrine "chick-flick." Now I have to ask myself...what were you waiting for? This movie which I now own, definitely deserves more praise and should be essential to anyone intrested in high-art. It's a magical and uplifting tale set in some of the most beautiful locations in Italy. Diane lane sparkles! She carries the film so well you forget she's only acting. A remarkable movie, filled with poignant characters and a heartbreaking story-line. It's message is one that transcends time and gender. Watch and learn...it's fabulous!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Having read Under the Tuscan Sun three times, this movie was very disappointing in the way that a beautiful story became a run of the mill chick flick. As beautiful as the scenery was, the movie made Tuscany lose it's charm and warmth that I received in the book.

Rating:
Summary: That's Amore!?
Review: God, how I wanted to like this movie! I mean...Diane Lane, the breath-taking Tuscany countryside and a gorgeous, though extremely run down, villa. Whats not to like? Unfortunately plenty.

Don't misunderstand me though. The idea of watching Diane Lane for two hours is something that, for the most part, I find enjoyable, if not entertaining as well but... For the most part stooping to the usual Hollywood cliche's by making our heroine a perennial victim ( cheating hubby AND uncaring lover! ) is not only transparent and terribly obvious but almost patronizing as well. Why is it that Hollywood feels the need to make women total victims of lousy husbands/boyfriends in a pathological desire to cast the films star as innocent and therefore extremely likable? And sadly that's just the beginning of the film that I had originally thought was to be a humorous yet sensitive movie concerning a womans growth and bid for independence. But it was not to be. Cliche's abound and during my initial viewing I almost cringed at dialogue that was less then sterling and a story line that was almost little more then a 'Lifetime Channel for Women' movie of the week.

After our heroine decides to purchase the 'fixer-upper' of her dreams she moves in and with all of the subtlty of a Lucille Ball/Desi Arnez sit-com finds herself in one silly situation after another. Most of those being so contrived and obvious that I could almost tell what might happen next. You know...language problems, getting hired handy men to do their jobs, nosy neighbors, blah, blah, blah. No doubt you get the idea. All the while Ms. Lane makes friends with some of those wacky locals ( why are locals in these types of films always silly and full of character? ). Sadly, the cliche's truly never stop. And if it wasn't for the truly beautiful setting and stunning landscapes I probably would have given up but that may be this films only saving grace.

Nevertheless, of course Ms. Lane meets a gentleman who she seems smitten with and with all of the emotional maturity of an over-sexed sixteen year she old falls in love with the Italian Stallion. Though once again to be done wrong by the cad who doesn't exactly return those very same amorous feelings. Rats! Poor Diane. Just another rotten guy that has no true feelings! Also, why do people in movies such as this fall in love with all the ease of changing one's clothes? Anyway, its all so painfully obvious and juvenile I almost used the DVD as a frisbee to relieve the rotten mood that this movie had put me in. Sorry to all fans of this movie but God knows the victim mentality that permeates this film is not only over-bearing but pandering as well. I guess I was supposed to be wringing my hands all the while thinking, " Poor, poor Diane. "

Well, of course at the very end of this...whatever you may call this umm thing, our heroine meets yet devastatingly attractive bachelor. Seems as though in this movie their falling out of the trees! Yes, all wells that ends well and perhaps Diane has found true love after all. You would have thought by this time that Ms. Lane would have learned her lesson but in true Hollywood fashion love conquers all and I suppose that the directors wanted the audience to cross their little fingers and hope that she has found that one true knight in shining armour. Thereby assuring our heroine that she will live happily ever after since in the movies no woman is ever really happy unless she has found her life-time mate. Again, sorry but the nauseating factor at this point was well past the point of anything redeeming this schlock that must cater to women who still believe in soul-mates, puppy-love and Cinderella endings. Ugh!