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Immersing
herself in the Tuscan lifestyle and culture, it seems that Frances meets
and greets everyone in the entire Italian countryside, creating a very
eclectic group of friends, including an Italian entrepreneur with whom
she finds herself becoming romantically involved.
Written by
Audrey Wells, who does double duty as director, "Tuscan Sun"
strays (or shall we cut to the chase and say, runs) from the original
Mayes novel, "Under the Tuscan Sun" At Home In Italy", as
great literary license is taken to embellish the Mayes character, the
people she meets and the adventures she has. While there was a need to
add some "life" to the printed word version of our heroine in
order to make her appealing on the big screen, Wells went overboard to
such a degree that much of the film feels as if Wells is trying to
direct herself out of a hole that was dug too deep in order to explain
the often unnecessary added extras. Not content to leave well enough
alone with Frances' own personal post-divorce turmoil (which is an added
wrinkle not in the book) , the story gets further bogged down with the
melodramatic events of those around Frances, which, of course, she gets
dragged into.
On the up
side, while Wells could have left this film as a visually stimulating
travelogue of the Tuscan countryside, she didn't. In the capable hands
of cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson, best known for excellence in films
like "Shine", "Little Women" and "Fried Green
Tomatoes" (we'll forgive him for "Glitter"), the beauty
of Italy is even moreso and more romanticized, guaranteed to elicit
wistful sighs and gasps at some of the breathtaking scenery. Not to be
missed is an homage to the Trevi Fountain scene from Fellini's "La
Dolce Vita.
Thanks to
production designer, Stephen McCabe, Bramasole takes on a life of its
own becoming as much of a character if not moreso, than the individual
characters. Interestingly, Bramasole is, in fact, so old and run-down
that the second floor had to be supported by steel posts which precluded
shooting upstairs and downstairs scenes in the same day.
Some of the
liberal story embellishment, however, does work well, adding some much
needed humor and warmth to the plot and the characters, especially in
the relationship between Mayes and her Polish work crew. Language
barriers always have and always will provide fuel for comedy and here,
are a bright spot amidst some of the more convoluted and melodramatic
moments.
Relegated to
the background in supporting roles for much of her career, Diane Lane
now finds herself thrust to the forefront as a leading lady thanks to
her Oscar nominated performance last year as the adulterous wife in
Adrian Lyne's "Unfaithful". Although she may have the
potential to carry such a moniker, and while she exhibits the basic
talent for same here, we never see her performance as Frances reach
leading lady caliber, due in large part to the character-laden storyline
and the time taken by Wells to explain the extra baggage. Lane is,
nevertheless, tanned, beautiful and sparkling and follows the emotional
journey of Frances from lonely and depressed to vibrant, in love and
full of life with a comfortable eloquence.
Adding to the
beautiful scenery are the beautiful people cast in the film. Italian
superstar Raoul Bova as Marcello, not only satisfies the romantic ideal
of Frances, but fills the bill for the fantasies of every woman in the
audience. Meanwhile, Vincent Riotta in the small role of realtor Senor
Martini, adds a depth and sincerity to a character that could have been
relegated to the background but thanks to Riotta, becomes one of
significance in the development of Frances and the overall tone of the
film.
Okay. No
question about it. This is a chick flick. There's romance. There are
tears. There are broken hearts. There are mended hearts. There are
beautiful people. There are exquisitely beautiful settings in Tuscany,
Florence and Rome. And despite its scripted flaws, "Under the
Tuscan Sun" is the fairy tale that speaks to the hopeful romantic
in us all.
Diane Lane:
Frances Mayes
Raoul Bova: Marcello
Sandra Oh: Patti
Vincent Riotta: Senor Martini
Written and directed by Audrey Wells based on a book by Frances Mayes.
Touchstone Pictures. Rated PG-13. (113 min.) |
