inkblot11 Review of Letters to Juliet

Letters to Juliet (2010)

Let yourself play hooky from housework and go see Letters, it's so enjoyable

[8/10 · 21 May 2010]

Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is a fact checker for New Yorker magazine, although she longs to be a bonafide journalist. Her boss (Oliver Platt) knows she does a great job in her present position but has no clue concerning her writing aspirations. Lucky gal, she is also engaged to a very handsome chef (Gael Garcia Bernal) and they are about to embark on a journey to Verona, Italy. But, how genuine is her luck, really? Her fiancé rarely devotes his full attention to what she is saying or wishing, being utterly wrapped up in the new restaurant he is about to open. Even the trip abroad, a supposed "pre-honeymoon" gets sidetracked when future hubby only wants to go to wine auctions and such. No sightseeing, which is what Sophie is keen to do. Therefore, she lets her mate go off on his own, while she looks over Verona, especially the "Juliet Wall", where folks leave letters to Juliet for advice on love. Sophie discovers that a team of older ladies compose the return letters and they let her help, one day. It is then that Sophie finds a letter tucked behind a loose brick. What a find! As it turns out, it was written by a young lady named Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) fifty years ago. She wanted to know if she should follow her heart and become attached to an Italian named Lorenzo (Franco Nero) or should she go home to England. Sadly, no one found the letter and Claire returned to Britain. Now, Sophie writes a reply to see what occurs. Ho, ho, ho! Claire and her grandson, Charlie (Christopher Egan) are in Verona in a matter of a few days, with Charlie giving Sophie a tongue-lashing for upsetting his grandmother's life. Instant dislike reigns. But, given the fact that fiancé is still on the run, this new trio, Claire, Sophie and Charlie, begin a search through the surrounding countryside for Lorenzo. Will they find him? And, will Sophie and Charlie stop fighting long enough to gaze into each other's eyes? I say go see this beautifully made film soon. The cast is wonderful, with Seyfried and Egan making a talented and good-looking pair, and the lesser cast members doing nice work as well. Redgrave is very touching as the older lady looking backwards and Nero, well, not only is he charming, he still looks most handsome! The scenery, naturally, is dazzling and so are the costumes and cinematography. The script has some originality, as well as predictable events, and the direction, though slow at times, seems secure. In short, let yourself off the hook from more mundane tasks and trot off to the cinema for this little gem, romance fans.