Rating: 
Summary: Weather Report: Tuscan Sun Fun, Diane Lane Shines
Review: Take this for what it is and you might enjoy it -- complete fantasy stuff, wish fulfillment, a brief escape from real world life and complexities into the stuff of make belive, completely lacking in any substance whatsoever.Why make a book into a movie and COMPLETELY change it? This is Audrey Welles inflicting HERSELF, her agenda, in fact, her completely different story, onto Frances Mayes' story, where the only thing left is the name of the house (Bramasole) and the name of the main characer (Frances/Fran/Francesca Mayes). In real life Mayes is married to Ed Mayes, they're university professors, writers/poets, and they bought a house in Tuscany over ten years ago and started cranking out books about their new adventure (it's HUGE house, even more imposing than the one in the film). Apparently not seeing any dramatic potential in Mayes' work, Welles arrogantly GRAFTED a completely different story onto the title ("Maybe no one will notice") wherein HER "Frances Mayes" is married then divorced then goes off to Italy and buys a house on an impulse (and strangely meets a man named "Ed" at the end which is supposed to bring some kind of nod to the real Ed Mayes, like an inside joke or something or a little piece of magic that plays out like a lump of coal on a Christmas morning. Stupid (her last name is already Mayes before she meets this Ed so his had better be Mayes too if you're following the silly logic of the story). Don't pick this movie apart (pull one thread and it unravels rather easily). Instead see it for the wish fulfillment fantasy of buying a house in Tuscany, the Italian countryside (most of which was actually rainy and overcast all through filming) an attractive cast (Diane Lane is STILL stunning after all these years), and a complete dose of fantasy -- a guilty pleasure, like watching "Dynasty" in the 80s. Leave the critical thinking elsewhere and pretend the world today is no more complex than an episode of The Brady Bunch (yeah right). Watch the scenery. Watch Lane's comic performance and stunning beauty, and Sandra Oh's great supporting performance. Then forget this crazy thing. And if you liked the book, may I recommend At Home in France by Ann Barry and Extra Virgin by Annie Hawes, both of which I liked better than the book Under the Tuscan Sun and its followups as did many other reviewers on amazon and elsewhere they report. The best part of this movie, for me, was seeing it in the theatre and suddenly seeing on screen the love interest's 1980s Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce two-seat convertible driving "picturesquely" through Italian cityscape and Italian coastline, and laughing to myself because it was the same car waiting for me in the parking lot. Do a theme night. Make some bruschetta and other Italian culinary items and watch this fluff with friends. You won't be able to keep a straight face at how "schmaltzy" it is. You'll be absolutely embarrassed, but you still may take a second look later in privacy for an indulgent pleasure. Ciao!
Rating: 
Summary: Sweet, charming movie about transitions and second chances
Review: "Under the Tuscan Sun" is at turns a delightful and sad romantic comedy romp full of a number of clever and unexpected twists and turns. San Francisco writer Frances Mayes ( Diane Lane) discovers her husband's affair and the discovery shatters her life. When he seeks alimony, she's forced to sell him the house that they renovated together with her mother's money. At first she takes residence in an apartment building where it seems everyone is lamenting a lost love or smarting over a divorce. As the first anniversary of her "freedom" looms, a lesbian friend takes her out to dinner and makes her an offer she can't refuse. She gives Frances a ticket to Italy. Frances is afraid of finding new romance. It's not something she's likely to do on the trip however as the tour is for gays and lesbians and her friend is unable to go because she's pregnant. While out and about on her own, she sees a picture of a villa for sale. On the spur of the moment she decides to purchase it. She wants to radically reshape her life and sees this as the opportunity to do so. With the blessing of pigeon poop on her head (evidently a "sign" to the elderly owner that she deserves the old and crumbling villa), Frances earns the right to purchase the place. What ensues is beautiful scenery, a series of comedic and sad events as she remodels her new villa culminating in an unexpected second chance at romance. Based on Frances Mayes' best-selling book, Audrey Wells has fashioned a memorable and unpredictable romantic comedy about second chances. If you're a fan of Mayes' book you may be disappointed. The basic premise is similar but, beyond that, the film has little to do with Mayes book. My advice, get it over it and enjoy the movie for what it is not what it isn't. Filled with memorable character actors from Italy, American and the UK, "Under the Tuscan Sun" eschews the typical formula seen in Nora Epstein's movies in favor of a series of unpredictable and interesting plot twists. Diane Lane gives a marvelous performance as Frances Mayes (which I should note is a fictionalized version of the author as the book has little to do with the novel beyond the setting and basic premises) a soul who has lost her way in the bitter aftermath of divorce. The renewal she finds with the renovation of her new villa and friendships she establishes along the way makes for a rewarding and touching film experience. The widescreen anamorphic transfer looks lovely capturing all the crisp, bright colors of Italy. There's no analog artifacts whatsoever and virtually no edge enhancement problems. "Under the Tuscan Sun" has been lovingly transferred from film to video without any of the usual analog to digital problems. The sound mix is as warm and sunny as the Italian landscape. While the 5.1 sound isn't used as successfully as say, an action picture, there's plenty of subtle detail to be heard and appreciated. The feeling of Italy envelops the listener with this carefully prepared transfer. There are the usual deleted scenes, some of which add a bit of additional character touches. The making of featurette "Tuscany 101" provides a nice glimpse into the production and thought process of the writer/director Audrey Wells and her star. There are also cast and filmmaker interviews and a glimpse into some of the challenges and rewards of shooting in Italy. Writer/director Audrey Wells provides an insightful and informative commentary track. It's a pity that Diane Lane and some of the Italian actors weren't included in the process. It would have been very interesting to get the Italian actors take on an American romantic comedy. A delightful and touching film, "Under the Tuscan Sun" will provide an evening of great entertainment. Diane Lane is, as usual, marvelous in the lead performance. Great care has been taken to preserve the look of the film and the transfer is truly spectacular looking.
Rating:
Summary: Very charming warm movie on a cold winter Saturday afternoon
Review: This movie is very warm toned and sincere. I really give a lot of credit to film makers who can create a romantic comedy that is not contrived and unoriginal. Under the Tuscan Sun is a fresh romantic comedy that has a heart. Of course this is not a masterpiece that will change your perception of life and leave you breathless, but it will leave you smiling for at least a half an hour after it is over. Also, it has a really good point. So many times we force things to happen in our lives and and become totally frustrated in the process. It is indeed so much easier to just "fall asleep and let the ladybugs crawl all over you". You will see what I mean when you watch the movie. Highly recommended enterntainment.
Rating: 
Summary: Read the book, skip the movie
Review: I read "Under the Tuscan Sun" over a year ago, and though it seemed hard to get into in the beginning, I suddenly found myself wrapped into the saga of the "money pit" house. The descriptions of the local people, the food, and the house were enchanting. When I heard that a film was being made of the book, I admit that I was somewhat puzzled as to how the journal-style writing would come across on the big screen. I'm not a big "movie theatre" goer, but when I heard that the film with the book's title was coming out on DVD I had to satisfy my curiosity. I've just completed watching the movie, and as somewhat expected, I am thoroughly disappointed. Although the Italian scenery is sublime, the storyline is too different from the book. The characters (though completely understandable in the book) do not seem connected to one another at all. I had problems following why characters, and their ecentricities, were introduced and I already knew the story! Diane Lane is beautiful and the scenery is gorgeous, but in the end I didn't "care" about any of the characters or the outcome. It just seemed to run out of steam (or water)...or maybe it was the absence of the adorable Italian from Positano :) In any case, take the time to read the book instead.
Rating:
Summary: If you liked the book, you will not like this film.
Review: Unfortunately, the screenwriter completely changed the story of Under the Tuscan Sun. True, the main character did buy a villa in Tuscany. However, this story primarily concerns Diane Lane's trauma of divorce and trying to find herself in Italy. The film has very little about the trials of her renovation of the villa. Most importantly, the film says nothing about the book's description of life in a small Tuscan village and the people who live there. I was very disappointed in the film.
Rating:
Summary: Warm, funny, sincere...................
Review: The elements of this simple and sometimes predictable story can easily be found in any well written and dog-earred romance novel. But that's okay by me because I'm a sucker for a good romantic story, as long as I can see it take life on the silver screen and not be read from a paperback. In this exceptional case we find a story written from a obviously female point of view and it comes alive and is gloriously embraced by the warmth of the bright Tuscan sun. Painfully divorced Francis (Diane Lane) in seeking a new beginning for a shattered personal life impulsively purchases a run down villa in Tuscany. Her motivation is equal parts diversion, fantasy, and hope. She is a sophisticated American writer who finds herself amid a simple and ancient culture rooted to an old European country and in the process, Francis slowly rediscovers cherished elements about life in general and herself in particular that are the stuff of classic romance. To be honest, I am a bit biased in favor of this wonderfully crafted film populated by mostly foreign actors because as an Italian-American, I can relate to the beautiful Tuscan scenery with some ethnic pride and as a man, I absolutely adore Diane Lane. She is a naturally gifted actress with an effortless range that serves well in this sensitive and introspective film. Miss Lane's mature and stunning beauty always makes my heart go all aflutter. What can I say....her knowing characterization of sweet Francis just makes you want to hug her. Hopeless romatics will love this movie. I do however, suspect that many a guy upon taking his date to this classic "chick flick" has probably shifted around in his seat a bit and occasionally glanced at the wrist watch for some measure of redemption. No matter to me. I loved this sometimes quirky little film and have watched it more than once thanks to the modern miracle of DVD. One of last year's best film efforts. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The Tuscan Sun Also Rises
Review: "Chick flick" lovers will bask in the glow of "Under the Tuscan Sun," a delightful, yet sometimes sappy romance starring the ever-dependable Diane Lane. Lane is instantly lovable as Frances Mayes, a San Francisco book reviewer and writer whose own life story takes a sad turn when she discovers that her husband's been cheating on her. Left with few options after being cajoled into a less-than-amicable divorce, Frances takes up on her friend Patti's (a wryly funny Sandra Oh) offer to take an Italian vacation in Tuscany. Quickly swept up by the country's beauty and charm, Frances impulsively buys a remote home in dire need of repair. But while she's mending the house that's been in an Italian family for many generations, can she mend her own broken heart? Based on the real Frances Mayes' best-selling book, "Under the Tuscan Sun" is hardly an earth-shattering movie -- but it's a charming romantic adventure nonetheless. Silly, slightly pretentious and hopelessly predictable at times, what saves "Tuscan Sun" from being a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy is its breathtaking real-life setting -- which provides maybe one of the most beautiful backdrops in films this year. Simply put, "Tuscan Sun" would be "Tuscan None" without its beautifully silent background character. Lane slips into the role of Frances comfortably, and proves that the leading actress notices she received last year with the romantic thriller "Unfaithful" was no fluke. She puts on some nicely subtle moves as dowdy, depressed divorcee who's reborn into a blossoming, sexy woman on the comeback trail. Completing the film's likable acting ensemble are Raoul Bova as Frances' love interest, Vincent Riotta as her caring, protective realtor/mentor and Lindsay Duncan as a strikingly beautiful, but quirky British socialite. DVD Features: Audio commentary with director Audrey Wells; making-of featurette; deleted scenes and more.
Rating:
Summary: Save some money and buy the book.
Review: A couple of years ago I was given for Chrismas Frances Mayes' popular story of her adventures in Tuscany as a new owner of a dilapidated villa which she painstakingly restored, not without many adventures and misadventures. As Mayes discovered, Italy was most unlike her home in San Francisco and the Italian people she met did not share many of her values. The fun of the book was watching Mayes adapt to her new home and neighbors. I thought, mistakenly as it turns out, that the Hollywood film of her book would be faithful, at least in part, to her experiences in Italy. Unfortunatley, I was unable to recognize much of her original story in the Hollywood version of the book. In Amazon's spotlight review for this movie, Samuel McKewon does an excellent job in his critique of the film and I will not repeat any of his comments. I agree with McKewon even if most readers of his review do not. The book and movie are called "Under the Tuscan Sun." We have some right to expect that Tuscany will play an important part in the film. Not so. The film opens with Mayes, played by Diane Lane, losing much of her property in a painful divorce. We are led to believe she is left with little money to begin her new life. We will find out that we are wrong in this inference. Mayes' friends give her a first class ticket to Tuscany. When she arrives, she leaves her tour almost immediately to purchase a run down villa in Cortina owned by an old contessa. The contessa drives a hard bargain, too steep for the Italian couple who compete with Mayes to buy the place. While Mayes herself is bargaining unsuccessfully with the contessa, a pidgeon defecates on her head. This is a sign for the contessa that Mayes should be the new owner of her 300 year old villa. This incident with the pidgeon is a warning to the viewer that the film is about to go into the toilet. When Mayes buys the house it is badly run down so she hires an old Italian carpenter and his three Polish assistants to rebuild the villa. A year later the three Polish workmen are still attempting to finish their repairs. Where Mayes got the money to buy the villa and pay three workmen for a year to do repairs is a mystery left unsolved. In fact, the only part the villa and workmen play in the story is as comic relief. Instead, we watch Mayes attempt to bring romance and love back into her life. For an intelligent, sophisticated women, she seems to be incredibly inept and immature. In the book the story of her adventures rebuilding her villa had a charm sadly missing in the film, which turned out to be a soap opera of her lovelife among the Italians. Instead of buying the film, viewers are advised to save their money and invest instead in the much cheaper paperback book. Here they will find the real Frances Mayes meeting and learning to love her new Italian neigbors.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring!!!
Review: This is supposed to be a romantic comedy, yet there are no comic moments. I could see the potential for comedy, but it just wasn't there. Maybe it's Diane Lane or maybe it's the director. I kept wondering if Lane was playing a teenager or an adult. I couldn't get involved with the character at all. She seemed to be faking it all the way through. I would've given no stars, but I thought the Italian countryside deserved at least 1 star.
Rating:
Summary: good movie, another "disney Dvd"'
Review: The movie is a fun and sweet romantic comedy that is out just in time for Valentines day, but the dvd is produced by Disney who uses crazy encoding on thier discs that prevent them being played on all dvd players. I tried this in my bedroom and the dvd stopped thourghout the film and had the be resarted and many time completely reinserted. This is a bad bussiness practice and i have had many reccent problem with disney disc's see my reveiw for Alice and Wonderland. I also had trouble with open range. I buy between 15- 20 movies a month and very rarly have problems with any company discs but Buena Vista, Actaully I can't remember the last bad dvd I have gotten from another studio that I have had problems with, I did not even have trouble with Two Towers Extended Edtion as many have reported. Disney you need to change your encoding process or stand to lose customers such as my self. I don't feel that it is asking to much to have a dvd actually play when you buy, otherwise I would just buy a coaster.
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