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Letters to Juliet (2010)

Director: Gary Winick

Time Out rating

Average user rating

10 reviews

Synopsis

An American girl on holiday in Italy finds a lost love letter and sets out to track down its author.

Movie review

From Time Out London

Out of the shadows of ‘Mamma Mia!’ creeps this hysterically silly, sun-soaked yarn of love lost and found in Italy with a story that feels like it’s been scribbled on the side of a jar of Ragu and an approach to filming Italy that’s been nicked from an old Cornetto ad. Sophie (Amanda Seyfried; yes, this wants to be ‘Mamma Mia!’ without songs) is a lowly fact-checker at The New Yorker who takes a pre-wedding trip to Verona with her restaurateur boyfriend Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal, smiling and waving his hands about like a nutter). But, once in Europe, Gael is off snouting for truffles and Sophie is left to discover a cadre of writers who ritually reply to notes left at the city’s shrine to Shakespeare’s Juliet. Soon, Sophie is penning one such note herself to Claire (Vanessa Redgrave, distinguished amid the nonsense), an elderly Brit whose letter to an Italian sweetheart has been sitting behind a brick for decades. And what do you know? Claire turns up to search the Italian countryside with Sophie for her long-lost Lorenzo – along with her grumpy hunk of a grandson, Charlie (Christopher Egan, actually Australian, which explains why he acts like a surfboard).

Is there any point wondering why some of these actors ignored the script and agreed to spend several weeks working in the glorious Italian countryside? But thank heavens for small mercies: someone must have realised in the edit that they might have a kitsch classic on their hands as there’s at least a knowing sense of camp alongside the dire performances and corny plotting.

Author: Dave Calhoun

Time Out London Issue 2077: June 10 – 16, 2010

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User reviews of this film

marisa said...

Posted on Jan 06 2011 11:16 this film was amazing!! I think dear John was a bit better though!!

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LotsC said...

Posted on Aug 12 2010 16:21 Charming, not the best but Charming. Some beautiful performances particularly from Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero and some stunning Italian scenery. Sweet storyline and enjoyable. A charming film, not the best film I've seen but I enjoyed it. Downside Chris Egan was fairly wooden

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scrumpyjack said...

Posted on Jun 21 2010 21:02 I kinda liked it! Chris Egan reduces it from a 6 to a 5/10, but its sweet natured and refreshing to see s film now and again that hasn't chased the "cool" pg-13 (12A) rating by adding an unnacessary "f***" word. a relax and enjoy film! no more, no less

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Paul said...

Posted on Jun 21 2010 17:19 At the beginning I feared the worst. It looked as though this film might only be redeemed by the splendid shots of Verona. However, as it continued I was pleasantly surprised. True, it is cloyingly sentimental at times, but there is also some genuine psychological tension and even suspense. In the latter case, there is always a danger that the two men in Sophie's life will meet - with rather unpleasant consequences. It is increasingly clear that Victor is far more in love with his business than with Sophie, and she gradually loses interest in him. Perhaps the scales are weighted against him a bit unfairly, though, when he turns into a mini-Gordon Ramsay. Amanda Seyfried looks childlike for most of the time but can also convey strong emotions through body language. Christopher Egan's character Charlie struck me as a grumpy variation on Hugh Grant, whose attraction to Sophie is barely concealed from the start. The most powerful performance is undoubtedly Vanessa Redgrave's. It is marked by a highly subtle sensitivity and indeed genuinely moving. A film like this is very easy to mock, but it deserves better.

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Jill said...

Posted on Jun 18 2010 18:49 The scenery was amazing and the quaint Italian villages were stunning. The bonhomie and ambiance of the local people were also inviting and the film left me wanting to hire a car and travel through Verona, Sienna & the local countryside to experience the people and scenery.For those of us who are on the wrong side of 50, there is a tinge of sadness as Vanessa Redgrave reminds us of the loves of our youth bringing back memories of those young hormones and the intensity of a teenage romance. We are left wondering where our own teenage romeos might be and whether indeed they might remember us so many years on. I think this is NOT a man's film but a group of 40 yrs+ females or even a group of teenage girls with empathy will enjoy it. I particularly enjoyed Vanessa Redgrave's portryal of an older woman and how dignified she was in even poking fun at her grandson. A feel good film for the ladies.

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Jill said...

Posted on Jun 18 2010 18:49 The scenery was amazing and the quaint Italian villages were stunning. The bonhomie and ambiance of the local people were also inviting and the film left me wanting to hire a car and travel through Verona, Sienna & the local countryside to experience the people and scenery.For those of us who are on the wrong side of 50, there is a tinge of sadness as Vanessa Redgrave reminds us of the loves of our youth bringing back memories of those young hormones and the intensity of a teenage romance. We are left wondering where our own teenage romeos might be and whether indeed they might remember us so many years on. I think this is NOT a man's film but a group of 40 yrs+ females or even a group of teenage girls with empathy will enjoy it. I particularly enjoyed Vanessa Redgrave's portryal of an older woman and how dignified she was in even poking fun at her grandson. A feel good film for the ladies.

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Jill said...

Posted on Jun 18 2010 18:49 The scenery was amazing and the quaint Italian villages were stunning. The bonhomie and ambiance of the local people were also inviting and the film left me wanting to hire a car and travel through Verona, Sienna & the local countryside to experience the people and scenery.For those of us who are on the wrong side of 50, there is a tinge of sadness as Vanessa Redgrave reminds us of the loves of our youth bringing back memories of those young hormones and the intensity of a teenage romance. We are left wondering where our own teenage romeos might be and whether indeed they might remember us so many years on. I think this is NOT a man's film but a group of 40 yrs+ females or even a group of teenage girls with empathy will enjoy it. I particularly enjoyed Vanessa Redgrave's portryal of an older woman and how dignified she was in even poking fun at her grandson. A feel good film for the ladies.

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Jill said...

Posted on Jun 18 2010 18:49 The scenery was amazing and the quaint Italian villages were stunning. The bonhomie and ambiance of the local people were also inviting and the film left me wanting to hire a car and travel through Verona, Sienna & the local countryside to experience the people and scenery.For those of us who are on the wrong side of 50, there is a tinge of sadness as Vanessa Redgrave reminds us of the loves of our youth bringing back memories of those young hormones and the intensity of a teenage romance. We are left wondering where our own teenage romeos might be and whether indeed they might remember us so many years on. I think this is NOT a man's film but a group of 40 yrs+ females or even a group of teenage girls with empathy will enjoy it. I particularly enjoyed Vanessa Redgrave's portryal of an older woman and how dignified she was in even poking fun at her grandson. A feel good film for the ladies.

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Jo said...

Posted on Jun 11 2010 16:25 Dicky - Amanda Seyfried was luminously watchable in the rather hilariously cheesy "Chloe" and did a pretty hilarious turn as loveable bimbo Karen in Tina Fey's "Mean Girls". Give the girl a script and she's actually great.

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Dicky said...

Posted on Jun 09 2010 21:47 Dave: You forget that Amanda Seyfried was in the memorably dreadful "Dear John" only two months ago. I'm beginning to wonder if she was invented to appeal to not very bright love sick teenage girls, as so far everything she's been in has been puerile pap.

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