Rating: PG-13
Starring:
Diane Lane as Frances
Sandra Oh as Patti
Lindsay Duncan as Katherine
Raoul Bova as Marcello
Vincent Riotta as Martini
Mario Monicelli as Old Man with Flowers
Roberto Nobile as Placido
Anita Zagaria as Fiorella
Evelina Gori as Nona Cardinale
Giulia Steigerwalt as Chiara
Pawel Szajda as Pawel
Valentine Pelka as Jerzy
Sasa Vulicevic as Zbignew
Massimo Sarchielli as Nino
Claudia Gerini as Signora Raguzzi
Special Features:
Commentary by director Audrey Wells
Deleted scenes
Making-of feautette “Tuscany 101”
Other Info:
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
French Language Track
Running Time: 113 Minutes
Synopsis:
Under The Tuscan Sun is based on the novel written by Frances Mayes.
After going through a bitter divorce, Frances finds herself in a deep depression. As a pick-me-up, her friends send her on a trip to Italy. While there, Frances ends up buying a run down villa in Tuscany on a whim. Reality eventually strikes and she ends up having to face extensive remodeling on the house. However, Frances soon finds herself falling in love with the country and people. But will she find love again?
Under The Tuscan Sun is rated PG-13 for sexual content and language.
The Movie:
I’ve got to admit that I was dreading having to watch Under The Tuscan Sun. I wasn’t really in the mood for a chick flick. While the movie was a chick flick as I expected, I did find it surprisingly funny and entertaining. As you would expect, the movie deals a lot with romance and relationship issues, but there is quite a bit of comedy that goes on to make it more interesting.
Diane Lane continues to impress as Frances Mayes. Not only is she beautiful, but she is able to portray the emotions of her character as she goes through bitter heartbreak and utter joy. On top of that, Lane handles the comedy extremely well. Scenes where she faces scorpions, snakes, leering workers, and other obstacles are quite funny. There are a number of memorable lines in the film, too.
The scenery is really beautiful. It will really make you want to take a trip to Italy. It also offers a unique and romantic backdrop for the story.
Overall, women will enjoy this chick flick and I think guys will be able to find it more tolerable than many other films from this genre.
The Extras:
There are a few brief bonus features included on this DVD:
Commentary by director Audrey Wells The commentary by writer / director Audrey Wells is actually pretty dry. Her voice is a bit monotone throughout and it sounds like she’s reading from a script. She offers brief comments on what’s happening but not a lot. If you’re interested in the movie, though, you may find it pretty interesting.
Deleted scenes There are only three deleted scenes included on this DVD. The first is one showing a potential contractor that sings to Frances. The second is a scene where Frances discovers a fresco hidden on a wall in the house. A third features a “clapper montage”. This is a series of clips showing various stereotypical characters from the town including the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. None of these clips is over a minute long.
Making-of feautette “Tuscany 101” This is your basic “making of” video. It’s only 9 minutes long and it features brief interviews with Lane and director Audrey Wells. They show a little footage of filming in Italy and they discuss how the locals welcomed them. While interesting, this featurette isn’t going to give you much insight on the making of the movie.
The Bottom Line:
Under The Tuscan Sun is a good chick flick that women should enjoy and men should be able to tolerate.
