Rating: 
Summary: Touching and Uplifting, whether true or not.....
Review: This film is very touching, even though the story is not a true one. It is also humorous in a special "Italian/Spanish cinema" kind of way.The ensemble of the ladies is quite charming: they all very different, but the war gave them common goal to fight for... and so they fight. Judy Dench seems to be most memorable lady: she is the eccentric artist, who in love with Italian art. Cher's character is also interesting. Inspiring and uplifting... Coming from Franco Zeffirelli, it just could not be bad, in my view.
Rating:
Summary: What can I say?
Review: With stand out performances by Cher, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, Lily Tomlin; beautiful scenery of Florence; Italians with their dramatic sense; a captivating story about the growing up of a boy under the auspicious guidance of American & English ladies who are from very different backgrounds through the turbulent time of World War 2, this is a movie not to be missed. The movie slowly transgresses & gradually, we are charmed by the sheer simplicity of the story. A story about love, friendships, girl-power, togetherness through the thick & thin during the worst of time, triumph of the human spirit. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Cher and Maggie Smith?
Review: I meant to write something earlier on this film because I really like it. My husband and I saw it on the big screen and then bought the DVD. Although it is a "chick flick" Cher's presence kept my husband interested. At one point in the story, Cher is asked. "Are all women in America like you?" (The setting of the film is Italy.) She turns to the camera and says, "Alas, NO." The audience cracked up at this remark because she is unique even to Americans. I love Cher, and I adore Maggie Smith and Judy Denton. I last saw Maggie and Judy together in "Room With A View" another film shot in Italy. The story line is simple. A group of female English citizens, long-time residents of Italy, stay on after Mussolini takes control although there are indications they may be imperiling their lives. The women choose to see him as a benevolent dictator, simply restoring order to a disorganized people. As his takeover unfolds, the lives of these English ex-pats becomes more and more difficult. Those who have been working lose their jobs. All of them lose the right to move freely, shop, travel etc. These restrictions noticably mirror the treatment of the Jews. Finally, the group decides to meet with Mussolini and talk about their problems. Maggie Smith, widow of the former English ambassador, plans a tea with Mussolini. At the tea, the women fail to understand Mussolini is merely patronizing them, and stalling for time. Their lives continue to deteriorate, especially after England declares war on the Axis. Eventually, the women are rounded up and herded into what must be the most beautiful detention center ever--an old fortress-castle on a remote hill in northern Italy. They stay there until the liberation at the end of the war. The humor in this film is reminiscent of "Life is Beautiful." One learns to laugh at the enemy to survive. I will never forget an interview Art Linkletter held with a Jewish survivor of the concentration camps who had written a book on humor. (Linkletter was the Donahue of the 1960's). When Art asked the man how he survived the camps, he said "I always focused on how stupid those soldiers looked prancing around in their shiny uniforms while we stood before them looking like a clutch of plucked chickens." The plot of "Tea" is similar to "Life" except instead of a concentration camp, the prisoners are held in an old fortress, and instead of a group of men hiding a child, a group of women are hiding a Jewess. There are many humorous scenes as the women prisoners outfox the stupid Italian facist soldiers guarding them. Their ultimate coup is to protect and hide Cher who is not only an American, but Jewish. This is a great DVD, buy it.
Rating:
Summary: What a good idea for a movie
Review: Sometimes an idea comes along for a movie and you think, ooh, that's a good idea! Even from the title you sometimes get a notion about the film itself. I'm not sure how true that is of "Tea with Mussolini," for other viewers, but I found myself drawn to this movie the first time someone said, "Have you seen..." I thought: there's a good idea. And I finally got around to seeing it. Well, it's a wonderful movie, for all sorts of reasons. I love films set in a certain period - not too far away, mind you (unless we're talking "Braveheart" or King Arthur), but fifty or so years ago, at least. Among other recent films, I'm thinking of "The English Patient" and "A Room with a View" I suppose, as I write that. They are both great period pieces and happily, fine cinema as well. This was no exception. Once again, English social habits were put under a spotlight, and this time one of the main sub-plots turned upon the difference in attitude of the staid old English and those brash young things, only a few centuries old, the Americans. What a discovery this particular American was for me. Cher played the part of the rather loud New York jewess to perfection. When it came to the dénouement, she was equally good at playing a more refined, withdrawn role, of a woman about to escape from mortal danger. For though the film has its light side, we are nevertheless in a war zone, accompanying a group of female detainees who decided not to quit Il Duce's domain until it was too late. It's a film that not only shows us people failing to get on together in easy circumstances; it also shows us that they can learn to cooperate across the silliest of imagined boundaries once things start hotting up. So for expressing that hopefulness (as well as being good cinema), it's worth all five stars.
Rating:
Summary: Uneven but lovely acting
Review: The Zeferelli auto of his young life in Florence world war2 is a lovely picturesque tribute to the era. The English actresses and the american actresses here do no wrong.They look after the boy with great humor and sensitivity. The sensitive and natural Joan Plowright combines with the very charismatic Cher for some memorable acting.Cher is a stunning and overlooked screen presence these days! The movie is really a great vehicle for Cher to show her fashionable side and her work as Elsa the jewish bohemian is akin to Auntie Mame as she shows the young director how to live. This movie was a great crowd pleaser, though overlooked by the academy this year. The scorpioni were perhaps too cute, and facism was maybe too much a cartoon to tell the story with complete authority. We must remember that it is from the point of view of a very young person, so perhaps the overview would be less political. Franco has made a great movie here even if it is perhaps too mild. It is said some of Cher's best work was left out. Even so, there is some great acting here. Hooray for the ladies!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful view into the past
Review: Cher, wonderful as usual, was not the brightest feature of this film. Baird Wallace, the young actor who stole the show as Luca, made this film the picture-perfect snapshot that this is. You really connect with him in the responcibility of your first big task or mission, and you feel his hurt when he is hurt by a long-trusted friend. Judi Dench and Joan Plowright are exceptional, and Maggie Smith, our old friend, makes the perfect old-English cronie. But perhaps the real thing that makes this movie magical is the beautiful art featured throughout the whole film. Yes, the art is the real star. Let its beauty wash over you and capture you in this two-hour refreshment into the past.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful and charming
Review: The actors exceptional, the scenery and background absolutely beautiful. The movie captures the innocense of a time past but like a good book you must watch this movie to the end. Focusing on a more realistic view of Fascism in Italy during WWII, rather than the stereotype which has been so often portrayed. I loved this movie and believe it is an education of the human spirit for us all. The only criticism is that at times the movie was a touch syrupy and possibly focused a bit too much on the beauty and splendour of Florence rather than the horror of war. Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I actually was watching this because I had a report on Mussolini and thought the film might be insightful. And it did teach you a little bit about the fascists but the story itself was very entertaining. The scenery was wonderful, and all the actors and actresses were amazing. I also hope Baird Wallace is in a lot more movies because I thought he was great and extremely talented. But overall, every actor was wonderful and the storyline was really entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Why no Oscars?
Review: I saw "Tea With Mussolini" on DISH this afternoon and am ordering the DVD tonight. The performances by Cher, Joan Plowright, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Lily Tomlin are lush. Baird Wallace, playing the adolescent orphan, will become a more familiar face to all of us, I hope. The Italian scenery, art and literature references, and historical WWII scenes give this film a multi-dimensional appeal. This is a sleeper of a film and I can't understand why it didn't rate some Oscar nominations.
Rating:
Summary: High Tea Time. Tea With Mussolini Is A Pleasure
Review: The first time i saw this movie i was very pleased with how the movie played out. The movie is an autobiographical film about Franco Zefferilli who also directs this film. I tells his story about growing up in Italy during the rise and fall of fascism raised by a group made up of british and american women. As a young boy he was raised by Mary played by Joan Plowright who is always a pleasure. By no means is this movie lacking talent with a seasoned cast. Including Joan Plowright, Cher, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Lilly Tomlin. All have experience and carry this film through good and bad times. Angela lansbury was originaly going to be casted but do to scheduling problems she wasn't. Either way this film dosn't dissapoint with excellent performances. With many characters this film works on all levels. Although a minor gripe is that it dosn't know which narrative to take but besides that gripe it is worth the money.
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