Product: Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Rating: 5.0
A rare commodity
"Under the Tuscan Sun" is a rare commodity in films today- a thoughtful, mature, and elegant romantic comedy which is tastefully written and exquisitely performed. The profusion of obscenities and graphic sexual exploits found in most recent "comedies" thankfully are absent in this splendid movie.This movie is rich with gentle humor and accurate insight into the human condition. We have all experienced joy and sadness, loneliness, and the yearning to be loved and accepted by others. The central character, played by Diane Lane, is an intelligent and attractive thirtyish writer who has suffered a heartbreaking divorce. She decides to make a fresh start and relocates from the U.S. to the lush countryside of Tuscan, Italy. She buys a dilapidated villa and plans to have it renovated as her new home.As the villa is transformed by a construction crew of rather eccentric Polish immigrants, Lane's character also undergoes changes. She becomes more of a risk-taker and forces herself out of her comfort zone so she can meet and mingle with the locals while absorbing their language and customs along the way. She learns more about herself in the process.Our heroine's spirits get a major boost when her best friend (drolly represented by Sandra Oh) comes to live with her in the villa. The best friend is pregnant, and she has been deserted by her female lover. Lane's character and Oh's character find strength and comfort from their long friendship. They understand each other even if nothing has been said. They have a special bond.There are so many delights in "Under the Tuscan Sun" not the least of which is the bright ensemble of actors with Diane Lane's textured, sympathetic performance especially memorable. She makes you really care about this decent and kind wounded soul who is trying so hard to move on with her life after the trauma of divorce from a seemingly happy marriage.Too many movies today are mindless, exploitative trash. A movie like "Under the Tuscan Sun" is a reminder that there are a few talented, conscientious artists still around who are able to create movies that are intelligent and have a heart. We should celebrate and encourage these artists. Audiences have been deprived long enough.