Product: Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Rating: 4.0
Outstanding 'Chick Flick'
This is simply one of the best examples ever of a genre I like to call "kissy-face," nothing negative implied!There comes a time when you just want to see a film where there is no violence, no blood, no horror, no significant meaning--just pure, decadent entertainment. That's what "Under the Tuscan Sun" is like--a wonderful box of chocolates where every chocolate is your favorite flavor. Some call this genre "chick flicks"--so be it.The story is pure, simple fluff, and not even original at that. Diane Lane (perfect in the role) plays a scorned woman, not too young, but far from old, who purchases a broken-down villa in Tuscany, Italy, on pure whim. Does it make sense? No! Is it perfectly believable? Yes! As she sets out to save the villa from utter ruin and turn it into a liveable residence, she finds herself involved with a crazy group of Polish emigrants, who not only speak poor English, but poor Italian as well. They have been hired to remodel the villa.Then there's a crazy but fabulous real estate woman who fancies herself a character in a Fellini movie--and then some. Our heroine has definitely bitten off more than she can chew, but at least she doesn't have much time to think of the cad back home who dumped her. So does she find true love and live happily ever after? I won't tell you, but the lush, gorgeous, breathtaking panorama of Tuscany is worth the price of the movie no matter what the plot--and the plot is just icing on the cake.It isn't "smart," it isn't intellectual, it doesn't have much of a plot, it makes no sense at all--but "Under the Tuscan Sun" is just perfect.