REVIEW: Letters to Juliet (2)

PURE MUSH

Sometimes an American film outdoes Bollywood. Gary Winick’s film Letters to Juliet, could very well have been a Hindi film from the Chopra/Johar camp--it even has a Veer Zaara moment-- but this one is much more likeable than most of their recent romantic offerings, in spite of its 100 percent predictability.

You know, for instance, that if a cute girl and cute guy start by squabbling, they are going to fall in love pretty soon.  You also know that the guy who’d rather go to a wine auction than romance his fiancée while on holiday in romantic Verona, is asking to be dumped. You also know that when cute girl and cute guy have a tearful separation, it won’t be permanent. And of course you know that when someone sets out to look for true love, they find it.

Knowing all this, if Letters to Juliet still appeals to the audience it must have something to do with the Italian scenery, all those blonde good looks on show, and definitely Vanessa Redgrave’s undiminished star power.  The director so deftly manipulates the plot that even though you know what happens in the next scene, and what each character will say before he/she opens his/her mouth, it’s still an enjoyable ride.

Budding writer Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) and her fiancé (Gael Garcia Bernal—right actor, wrong film) go to Italy for a pre-wedding trip, but he (a chef) goes off to attend to work, leaving her to do her own thing. She visits Juliet's (of Romeo and Juliet legend) house in Verona, where for years, women have left letters to Juliet asking for advice on matters of love. A group of women answer the letters on Juliet's behalf, and Sophie joins them. She find a 50-year-old letter and on an impulse, responds to it.

The next thing she knows, is a very angry young Englishman, Charlie (Christopher Eagan) lands up with his grandmother Claire (Vanessa Redgrave), the one who wrote that letter 50 years ago.

She had left her Italian boyfriend and gone back to England, and now returns in the hope of finding him.  Against Charlie’s wishes. Claire and Sophie decide to go look for Lorenzo, who may or not be alive, may or may not remember her, may or not be living in that part of Italy.

It is the present, there are phones and computers, but the three embark on a journey to trace Lorenzo.  The  trip has some charming and funny moments, Charlie and Sophie bicker, Claire looks dreamy and a bit scared.  There is no doubt Lorenzo will be found—this is a fairy tale after all—the only questions are how, where and what next? You already know the answers.

The ‘awww-really?’ part is that Lorenzo is Franco Nero, who is Vanessa Redgraves real life husband, whom she married many years after they had an off-screen romance.  Their lovely presence and her luminous appearance make the film worth a watch.