Movie Review - Letters to Juliet

Amidst annoying chic-flicks and ‘wannabe’ romantic comedies, it's a nice surprise to stumble across a film of the genre that DOESN'T ‘try-hard-to-be’ and LETTERS FROM JULIET was that surprise for me. Since this was one of those films, for which the trailer gave away most of the plot, I had not expected to see anything incredible, but it ended up being a double romantic payoff, beautifully portrayed, directed and performed.

New Yorker Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is on a pre-honeymoon vacation with restaurateur fiancé Victor (Gael Bernal) in the picturesque Verona, Italy. While exploring the city, Sophie visits the historic home of Juliet Capulet (from the Shakespeare classic ROMEO & JULIET) where she discovers a fifty-year-old letter hidden in the stonewall (a place where the heartbroken leave notes asking Juliet for her help). The letter was written by a British girl, to her Italian lover, who she abandoned to please her strict parents. Sophie innocently answers the letter, only to discover that the girl, Claire, (Vanessa Redgrave), now a woman in her sixties, has traveled to Verona, accompanied by her grandson Charlie (Chris Egan) in search of her lost lover, hopeful by Sophie’s response. Bored and neglected, as fiancé Vector is occupied meeting vendors for his restaurant, Sophie agrees to accompany Claire and Charlie on her quest for finding Claire’s lost love. You can easily work out the rest of it. In fact, you can guess the whole film based on the 2+ minute trailers.

The major part of the movie rests on the delicate shoulders of Amanda, who does her part efficiently. The gem of the movie however is Vanessa Redgrave. Her grace, wit, mischievously hinting eyes reminded me of the older Rose (Gloria Stuart - Titanic). She is beautiful, irresistibly charming and the scenes between her and real-life husband Franco Nero together are an eclectic combination of bittersweet, poignant, and the most compelling reason to watch the film. The weak link is Christopher Egan, whose oppressive square Brit act is an unwelcome contrast to the sidetracked but moderately appealing Victor. (Still none of the male leads are even remotely gorgeous or swoon-worthy as expected for the Italian backdrop)

Oh ‘Letters to Juliet’, why do I adore thee? Let’s summarize the reasons: there are no pretentions, no bad blood, no going back & forth, no unfunny jokiness or  amateurish tendencies, no clichéd dialogue or people or scenes - just one intricately woven love story, two enchanting Italian romances and dollops of Italian scenic beauty. While it does not break any new paths, the movie is aptly supported by the leading ladies genuine conviction, that slivers through the mushiness to make the predictable plot feel real and touching, while steering clear of the schmaltz of candy floss melodramas.

So it's not a great flick, it’s an indulgence (chocolates/desserts kind), a lazy afternoon leisure and the perfect substitute for ‘chicken soup’ on those feeling low days. Portrait landscapes of delightful Italian countryside, lighthearted gestures, conversations, and immensely affable cast make "Letters to Juliet" worthwhile, even if you've seen it before. Many times before. Recommended.