UP AT THE VILLA
US, 1998, 115 minutes, Colour.
Kristen Scott Thomas, Sean Penn, Anne Bancroft, Edward Fox, Jeremy Davies, Derek Jacobi, Dudley Sutton.
Directed by Philip Haas.
Up at the Villa is based on a story by W. Somerset Maugham. It is set in Italy at the eve of World War II, just after the Munich agreement. A group of overseas aristocrats lives a comfortable life near Florence, but are threatened by the ever more powerful fascist regime. (This is the group of expatriates that Franco Zeffirelli portrayed, especially the English group, in his Tea With Mussolini which takes place at much the same era and into World War II.)
The film focuses on the penniless widow, Mary Panton, played quite exquisitely by Kristen Scott Thomas. Scott Thomas has taken the market in this kind of role, veering from the sympathetic to the very cold (A Handful of Dust, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Gosford Park, The Horse Whisperer, Random Hearts, Life as a House). Sean Penn appears as a rakish American who is able to help Mary in a crisis as well as to invite her to broaden her horizons. The film has a strong supporting cast led by Anne Bancroft as a garrulous and gossip-mongering American who has married into Italian nobility, Jeremy Davies as an Austrian refugee, James Fox in his usual role as the stiff-upper-lip reliable Englishman and Derek Jacobi camping it up as an expatriate who lives on his reputation and on being invited to social events.
The film was written by Belinda Haas, the wife of the director, Philip Haas. They were responsible for such films as The Music of Chance and Angels and Insects (also with Kristen Scott Thomas).
The film recreates the period, has lavish colour photography, highlighting the beauty of the Tuscan villas. It also has sinister overtones with the expatriates relying on the Munich agreement for peace in our time, but sensing that the fascists under Mussolini are moving towards war.
1. The work of W. Somerset Maugham, interesting characters, relationships? The 1930s, the Italian setting, the Munich agreement, the aggression of the Nazis, Mussolini and the fascists? The expatriates, the British? The film working at personal levels of interaction, social levels of Italy at the time?
2. The re-creation of the period, the homes and their interiors, the villas, costumes, the life of the wealthy, hotels, parties and picnics? Florence and its environs? The atmosphere and setting? The musical score, songs, the period?
3. The title, the focus on Mary, the villa and the happenings inside the villa?
4. Italy, fascist rule, Leopardi and the Black Shirts, his presence at the dinners, his being the boss, getting Rowley's gun, the pressure on Rowley? His secrets, known by the princess? The refugees from Austria, the anti-Semitic tone? The flavour of the period?
5. The portrait of Mary and Kristen Scott Thomas's screen presence? British, reserve, dependent? The widow? Penniless? Charity at the villa? Her being accepted into this expatriate society? Their interest in her being married? Edgar, his arrival, the proposal, her wanting time to think about it? Expectations on her? The parties and social life? Talking with the princess, Mary as impressionable and romantic, absorbing the princess's gossip and stories? Rowley and his arrival, attractive? The dinner, the violinist and his bad playing? Mary leaving the large tip? The discussions with Rowley, the car, her slapping him? Going back to the house, seeing Karl on the road, bringing him in, the meal, the beauty of the villa? Taking pity on him, his story, the night together? Her coping with this, the visit to the art museum? The princess and her inquisitiveness? Karl's return, tense, the gun which Edgar had given her, her threatening him, his taking the gun, killing himself? The impact on her, ringing Rowley, his coming to help, the body, pretending to kiss on the road to avoid detection? The late night, sleeping in, the maid hearing the noise? Mary and her ability to carry it off despite being terrified, the gossip about the death at the table? Her being able to cover? Rowley's support?
6. Rowley arrested, Leopardi and his interrogating her, finding out that she had given him the gun? Her going to the princess, getting her drunk, getting the secrets about Leopardi, going to her house and getting the documents, to the jail, blackmailing him, the release? Her telling the whole story to Edgar? The effect on him, the dilemma about the marriage, his future as Viceroy? Decisions? Her telling the princess, her cynical response? Telling that the story of her love was false? Mary and her decision to leave, a sense of freedom, seeing Rowley on the train, having the drink with him? A future?
7. Edgar as very British, India, giving her the gun, his tolerance of what had happened, his political dilemmas, her reputation? Her refusal to marry him? His leaving?
8. Rowley, rakish, American, travelling in Italy, knowing the situation? His absent wife? His manner, with the expatriate crowd, the socials? With Mary, more honest, not planning, live being open? Their clash, his helping her with the body, covering up? His arrest, in prison, release? On the train?
9. The princess and her style, her stories, her place in society, as a patron for Mary, telling her stories, revealing her secrets, condemning her at the end?
10. Lucky Leadbetter, his presence in Florence, camp style, the guide, relying on invitations, the princess inviting him at Mary's behest? His helping Mary?
11. Karl, the refugee, his story, playing the violin, the tip, on the road, the meal, the beauty of the villa, the night with Mary, his return, his desperate love, killing himself?
12. The portrait of a society, real and unreal, rich and privileged? Leopardi and his control of the expatriates, gathering them together for supervision of their documents - and their applauding him? Their world about to change?
13. A glimpse of Europe pre-World War II, issues of relationships, honesty, society?
