LETTERS TO JULIET
US, 2010, 105 minutes, Colour.
Amanda Seyfried, Vanessa Redgrave, Gael Garcia Bernal, Christopher Egan, Louisa Ranieri, Franco Nero.
Directed by Gary Winick.
For the young: Sophie (Amanda Seyfried, seen frequently these years, Mamma Mia, Dear John, Chloe, Boogie Woogie, Jennifer’s Body) is a fact-checker with the New Yorker, engaged to an exuberant enthusiast, Victor, who is about to open his own restaurant (Gael Garcia Bernal). They have decided to go on a honeymoon to Verona before the wedding because, after it, all will be busy at the restaurant. For Victor, the alleged honeymoon is visiting vineyards, olive groves, cheese factories, wine auctions, to get the best produce for his restaurant. Sophie loyally tags along but wants to be with Victor and do the touristic thing, especially in the city of Romeo and Juliet. When she visits Juliet’s house and sees quite a number of sniffling and weeping women writing letters to Juliet and putting them on a notice board and a group of women, Juliet’s secretaries, answering them, she offers to help. She accidentally discovers a letter from Claire about Lorenzo written fifty years earlier and answers it.
For the old: Claire’s rather priggish grandson, Charlie (Australian Christopher Egan) arrives and takes an instant dislike to Sophie. He has unwillingly brought Claire to Verona to try to find Lorenzo. Since Claire is played by Vanessa Redgrave at her simplest and sweetest, a most engaging performance, we are drawn into the quest to find the romantic Lorenzo. After quite a number of encounters with all types of Italian men, Claire, Charlie, Sophie and we actually find him. A most happy reunion and joy all round – except for Charlie who has (not particularly credibly) fallen for Sophie and Sophie who realises she must break with Victor and go back to Italy. Sophie and Charlie also have a mock balcony scene to remind us that there is no real battle between modern Capulets and Montagues.
And who should play Lorenzo but Franco Nero? With art imitating life (or was this the source for the plot of the film?), Franco Nero and Vanessa Redgrave were in a relationship in the mid and late 1960s – and, indeed, married in 2006. Looks as though the film’s wedding scenes were not acted – the love was real!
1. A romantic comedy, for younger audiences, for older audiences?
2. The title, evocations of Romeo and Juliet, audience expectations, Romeo and Juliet’s ill-fated romance – the happy ever after of this film? Even if fifty years later?
3. The New York settings, the New Yorker, restaurants, New York life and atmosphere?
4. Verona, the city, old and new, the tourist attractions, Juliet’s house? Sienna and Tuscany, the city, farms and vineyards? Tuscany as romantic? The musical score?
5. Sophie, her age, her work, fact-checking, the kiss in Times Square and her phone calls? The discussions with the editor, the information? Victor, his personality, the planning for the restaurant? The wedding in six weeks, the honeymoon before the wedding?
6. Italy, Verona and its beauty, the excursions? Victor going into the countryside, wine, olives, cheese? Tasting? Everything for the restaurant? The Italians seeking his custom? Sophie consenting, tasting, bored? Victor and his excitement, exuberance? Sophie wanting to be a tourist? Going through the city?
7. Juliet’s house, the women writing the letters, putting them on the board, weeping as they wrote, Sophie writing, asking the women what they were doing? The collection of the letters, meeting Isabella and the other women, the secretaries to Juliet? The explanations, her interest, helping, the wall, finding Claire’s letter after fifty years? Writing to Claire – and the text of the letter being read out later at the wedding? Her excitement? Victor, at the auction at Livorno, his continued enthusiasm, being away from Sophie?
8. Charlie and his arrival, Sophie meeting him, Charlie angry, ridiculing her, Claire’s situation, his concern about his grandmother, the decision to come to Italy? Claire in Italy, her enthusiasm?
9. Vanessa Redgrave as Claire, charming and sympathetic, the story of her life, being in Italy, meeting Lorenzo, love at first sight, her return from Italy, her age? The student? Her subsequent life, marriage, children, their deaths in the car accident, her care for Charlie? Sophie helping her, the decision to find Lorenzo, Sophie with the names, the map?
10. Charlie as sour, anti-Sophie, ridiculing her language, the collage of the meetings with the various Lorenzos, the range of Italian types?
11. The effect of the visit on Claire, on Charlie, on Sophie, her phoning Victor?
12. The count, the body in the cemetery? Seeing the house, Lorenzo’s grandson, Lorenzo riding in, meeting Claire?
13. Claire and Lorenzo, the recognition, sharing, walking together, reminiscing, the subsequent histories of each? Family?
14. Charlie, his change of attitude towards Sophie, the kiss, his drawing back? Sophie and her bewilderment, her concern about Victor? Charlie and Claire urging him to pursue Sophie, his missing her?
15. Sophie, the boss and his reading the story, his publishing it? Her exhilaration? Victor, preoccupation with the restaurant? The fact that they were not with each other on their honeymoon, Sophie breaking up?
16. The wedding, the happiness, the celebration, the other Patricia, Sophie seeing Charlie with her, her decision to leave? Listening to the letter? Charlie following, the kiss, Claire and Lorenzo and the others watching? The happy ending?
17. A romantic comedy for all?
