I don't usually like the kind of movie that "Under the Tuscan sun" is supposed to be -a "chick flick", romantic movie where the romance is the whole point and a happy ending for our heroine is imperative, and basically what the audience is paying the ticket for. Anyway, I just watched this, and at first I was prejudiced, but then it started to look different and I (reluctantly) started to find pleasure in watching the adventures of Frances, who, having been left by her husband and kicked out of the house that she bought, gets the chance to travel to Tuscany, falls in love with an old house in the countryside and starts to renew it. As one would expect, the story of this eventful process of renewal is also that of her own renewal as a person, pretty much including (or her main point being) finding love again.
This last part -the finding love- is the one I have most problems with. Frances will go on to live many adventures and misadventures in her new home, meeting colorful characters and, yes, keeping us guessing about her destiny.
I think the movie is ruined precisely by how much the driving force is her quest for love, almost to an obsessive point. Right, what can you expect, huh? I know... but the story being as full of opportunities and life experiences, I was expecting and wanting for it to be something else than another movie about relationships, coupling up and falling in love the way it is traditionally depicted in Hollywood movies.
The biggest asset of this film is undoubtedly its aesthetic beauty, showing us Italy and Tuscany like I had personally never seen them before in film. Diane Lane is also always a delight to watch in film, because she's such a naturally gifted actress and she has the kind of classic, delicate beauty that fits so well with the story and the tone of the movie.
However, because I was personally disappointed with the film, I rate it 5/10.
This last part -the finding love- is the one I have most problems with. Frances will go on to live many adventures and misadventures in her new home, meeting colorful characters and, yes, keeping us guessing about her destiny.
I think the movie is ruined precisely by how much the driving force is her quest for love, almost to an obsessive point. Right, what can you expect, huh? I know... but the story being as full of opportunities and life experiences, I was expecting and wanting for it to be something else than another movie about relationships, coupling up and falling in love the way it is traditionally depicted in Hollywood movies.
The biggest asset of this film is undoubtedly its aesthetic beauty, showing us Italy and Tuscany like I had personally never seen them before in film. Diane Lane is also always a delight to watch in film, because she's such a naturally gifted actress and she has the kind of classic, delicate beauty that fits so well with the story and the tone of the movie.
However, because I was personally disappointed with the film, I rate it 5/10.