Rating: 
Summary: Great movie because of the excellent Cast !
Review: It has been since Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) that I have seen so many excellent actresses in one movie. Both Judi Dench, Cher, Maggie Smith and all the rest of them give really great performances in this movie. It is also filmed very beautifully ! Buy it on DVD now !
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Charming Movie! Could you find a better cast?
Review: I just saw this movie last night and can't say enough about it. Tea With Mussolini is touching, heartwarming, funny, moving...need I go on? Buy it. Buy it now! And remember, "There are no illegitimate children, only illegitimate parents."
Rating:
Summary: WHAT A CAST WHAT A MOVIE!
Review: I learned a lot through watahing this movie. Growing up we only got the german point of veiw and now i undetstand the Italian. Those ladies were extremely brave. I thought Judi Dench did an excellent job as Arabella, she made me want to love art. Joan Plowright was the teacher who made me want to learn. Maggie Smith reminded me why I hate aristocrats. Lily Tomlin performed as if she was the gregorious Georgie, I even wanted to go out excavate something. And what can you say about Cher except that its time for another oscar.
Rating:
Summary: Tea With Mussolin; Excellent movie
Review: Tea With Mussolini is an excellent movie centered around the devastating tragedy of WW2. It is heartwarming, sad, funny, and an all over great movie. Cher's performance is incredible and unique.
Rating:
Summary: Touching human drama about friendship and it's many faces
Review: The movie spoke very strongly about what happens in desperate situations, among friend and foe. It's a poignant tale about the common suffering of a handful of women in war torn Italy and how each does what she's called to do, within her realm of influence. You have to love Cher, Maggie Smith, Lily Tomly and Judy Dench. Each gives a performance that charms and disarms the audience. Bravo, ladies.
Rating:
Summary: The most fabulous movie I have seen in a long time!
Review: In this day and age, where most movies are centered around sex and violence. It is very hard for a parent of three to find something that the whole family would enjoy. Although I would not recommend this movie for the very young, only because they would not be able to understand the story. You will be entertained by a very talented director and cast. This was truly a work of art! DON'T MISS THIS ONE!
Rating:
Summary: This Is The Best Tea I've Ever Had!
Review: Tea with Mussolini is an excellent movie. I have to agree with most everyone else's comments. My personal favorite is Hester. Played brilliantly by Maggie Smith, she is a pivitol character with a comically blind faith in Mussolini. I would (and do) recommend this movie in a heartbeat.
Rating: 
Summary: "Should we change our lives because some idiot wants war?"
Review: Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, who also wrote the screenplay with John Mortimer, this (1999) semi-autobiographical tale revolves around an illegitimate Italian child named Luca, whose wealthy father provides financial support but otherwise ignores him. Taken under the wing of Mary Wallace (Joan Plowright), one of a group of British women who have remained in Italy during the rule of Mussolini, he learns English and enjoys the only stability he has ever known. When Italy allies itself with Germany, his father sends him off to school in Germany, but Luca remains close to "Miss Mary."
Lady Hester Random (Maggie Smith), artist Arabella (Judi Dench), and several other expatriots, are all in Mary Wallace's very British social circle. Under Lady Hester's direction, they are insulated, self-satisfied, and exclusive, and regard people like Elsa Morganthau-Strauss, an American parvenu and art-collector (Cher), as beneath them. She mockingly refers to them as the "scorpioni," an opinion shared by Georgie, an American archaeologist (Lily Tomlin). When the fascists threaten their lifestyle, Lady Hester, widow of the former ambassador, has tea with Mussolini, who promises to look after her and her friends personally. When war breaks out, however, promises are broken, and it is up to Luca, back from Germany, to try to help.
The level of irony is suggested in the title, as the "scorpioni" refuse to believe that Mussolini's "ungentlemanly" behavior could possibly affect them. Zeffirelli, alternates semi-serious scenes with extravagant, absurd scenes, much like the comic relief of the Shakespearean plays he has also directed, and he casts the film so that each of his stars plays to type--Maggie Smith as the hopelessly snobby aristocrat, Judi Dench as a fey and flighty artiste, Joan Plowright as the sweet and thoughtful grandmotherly sort, Cher as the most extravagant and crass American ever filmed, and Lily Tomlin as the no-nonsense realist who enjoys sticking pins into those who puff themselves up. The roles do not call for subtlety or originality, but it is great fun to watch these screen legends having fun here.
The gorgeous scenery, art, and architecture of Tuscany are well filmed by David Watkin, and the tone of the film remains light, focusing on the women and Luca almost exclusively. A satiric tale poking fun at everything from American crassness and British class-consciousness to the absurdities of Mussolini's pretentions, the film virtually ignores fascism's serious realities for the sake of the story line and its humor. Mary Whipple
Rating:
Summary: A Great Cast!
Review: Set in Florence and covering roughly 10 years from the brink of World War II to the liberation of "Il Scorpioni", Zeffirelli's film boasts a great cast: from the group of English women who love all things Italian-- Maggie Smith as Lady Hester, Judi Dench as Arabella, Joan Plowright as Mary to Lily Tomlin as Georgie, Cher as Elsa, and last but certainly not least, Baird Wallace as the older Luca based loosely on the director, himself. The group of English women will not leave Florece even in the face of an impeding war; Lady Hester, in her naivete assumes that tea with Mussolini will guarantee her and her friends' safety.The film is a little predictable and somewhat rosy. On the other hand, If Luca is based on Zeffirelli, he obviously lived to tell his tale so perhaps this rosiness is justified. Cher seems to play Cher and isn't terribly convincing as a rich Jewish American; and her wardrobe is gaudy enough to belong to her. On the other hand, the three British actresses are great, particularly Maggie Smith who cannot abide Americans. My favorite line of hers is that Americans [referring to Elsa] can even "vulgarize" ice cream. Of course it's impossible to make an ugly movie that's filmed in Florence; this one is no exception. (It's probably impossible for this director to make a less than beautiful movie.) While this may not be Mr. Zeffirelli's best film, it's much better than the best efforts of a lot of his contemporaries.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Film
Review: I love this movie. I rented it because I had heard it was an excellent film (and it had Cher- always a plus :) This turned out to be true. The movie is wonderfully made. It has a great story line, many multi-dimensional characters, and beautiful sceneries. The story is complex, yet easy to understand at the same time. It is a movie that evokes emotion, and is well worth the purchase. I recommend it to everyone.
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