Under The Tuscan Sun (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Good
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Good

Advantages:	easy watchable film
Disadvantages:	none

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Under the Tuscan Sun is and enjoyable film about a recently divorced woman who ups sticks and moves to the Italian area of Tuscany. It is based on the book of the same name by Frances Mayes and is actually a true story.

At the start of the film, Frances, a writer is living in San Francisco. She thinks everything is well in her life until she suddenly discovers that her husband (who we never meet) is having an affair and before long she is in the middle of an acrimonious divorce. Her good friend Patti offers her a ticket for a trip to Tuscany because she cannot go (incidentally it is a trip for gay couples!) and Frances takes her up on the offer. Whilst she is there, she falls in love with the area, and without really intending to she finds herself buying a very run down house and staying.

At first she is both daunted and lonely and wonders why she has bought such a big house when it is only her. However, a good friend tells her about the train track that was built through the Alps years before there ever being a train that could make the journey. This gives her the optimism to stay and soon she is cooking for the builders making a few new friends and there is even the potential of a new love life.

It's a very engaging film as we see how Frances develops and grows and ultimately become happy with the person she is. This film is very much about a journey and not just the physical journey from the US to Italy but her own emotional journey too. Frances is played by Diane Lane who really does a superb job at portraying that personal growth and fulfilment. There were not many other names I had heard of about from Lindsay Duncan who plays a very enigmatic character called Katherine who has a tendency for dressing very dramatically and even dancing in fountains. Sandra Oh plays Patti, Frances' friend who eventually comes to live in the house with her baby.

There is an excellent supporting cast too who play a wide array of strange and colourful characters including some Polish builders, the family next door and some potential lovers for Frances. Many of these have their own small storyline all of which contribute to the overall enjoyment of the film.
It's quite a gentle story that moves along at a leisurely pace against a wonderful backdrop of Italian scenery and soothing music. It does not take long to start to become absorbed in Frances' life and to start to be firmly on her side. There are some funny moments as well as some quite poignant ones too. Overall it is what I would call a sad funny film. I did enjoy watching it very much although having said that it is not the sort of film I would want to watch over and over again.

I did have a look at the few DVD extras that come with it. Tuscany 101 shows the thought that went into certain scenes and that is quite interesting. Diane Lane , Frances Mayes and the director Audrey Wells all contribute to this. Apart from that there are only some deleted scenes and an audio commentary.

You can buy the DVD on Amazon for only £2.98.