A typical chick flick made likeable by genuine characters and little honest moments.
- Rated PG For brief rude behavior, some language and incidental smoking.
- Who's going to like it: Chicks.
- Who's going to like it: Chicks.
Supposedly, in Verona, Italy – the hometown of fiction Shakespearean
characters Romeo and Juliet – there is a small tourist attraction that
is believed to be the Capulet home. The wall below the Juliet’s balcony
is a sanctuary for girls dealing with man-troubles. Suffering girls
gather there, write down their emotions, problems and feelings and tape
them to the wall for Juliet to read. Little do these grieving women know
that city of Verona has hired a wise, aged group of well-experienced
women, known as “Juliet’s Secretaries,” to collect the letters daily and
respond to them individually.
Amanda Seyfried (Dear John) plays the lead character in this fairytale, an aspiring journalist named Sophie. Considering how busy both she and her fiancée (Gael Garcia Bernal, The Science Of Sleep) are just prior to the grand opening of his New York City Italian restaurant, they decide to take a pre-marriage honeymoon to Italy where he can also study the food and flavors.
In the middle of their food-filled travels, the two decide to split up for a few days in order to enjoy their own different sights – Sophie’s being the romantic and her fiancée’s being food related. When Sophie visits Juliet’s balcony, she learns of “Juliet’s Secretaries.” Taking advantage of a good opportunity to tell an untold story, Sophie spends her time with the Secretaries.
While collecting the letters one afternoon, Sophie discovers a loose rock in the balcony wall and removes it, revealing a 53-year-old letter written to Juliet. Feeling inspired, Sophie writes Juliet’s response letter, hoping that the writer is still alive. Just a few days later, the 68-year-old author of the letter (Vanessa Redgrave, Mission: Impossible) arrives in Verona on a mission to find her lost love from 53 years prior. Of course, she brings her strapping man-boy grandson who draws the attention of Sophie’s heart. Together, the three of them head out on a journey through Italy’s beautiful countryside to find the man she loved.
As unoriginal as Letters To Juliet may be, the charisma, charm and honesty of the characters makes it an enjoyable romantic comedy. The romance story is fun and playful, but the unforeseeable story about Redgrave and her “Romeo” is heartfelt. Because the twists of the story are obvious and cliché, the film takes itself lightly, even poking fun at its own faults and corny flaws.
I cannot think of a single female that would not enjoy Letters To Juliet. Guys on dates and those who don’t mind any occasional chick flick won’t hate it either. Letters To Juliet is sweet, kind and even pretty funny at times.
Photo credit: Summit Entertainment
Amanda Seyfried (Dear John) plays the lead character in this fairytale, an aspiring journalist named Sophie. Considering how busy both she and her fiancée (Gael Garcia Bernal, The Science Of Sleep) are just prior to the grand opening of his New York City Italian restaurant, they decide to take a pre-marriage honeymoon to Italy where he can also study the food and flavors.
In the middle of their food-filled travels, the two decide to split up for a few days in order to enjoy their own different sights – Sophie’s being the romantic and her fiancée’s being food related. When Sophie visits Juliet’s balcony, she learns of “Juliet’s Secretaries.” Taking advantage of a good opportunity to tell an untold story, Sophie spends her time with the Secretaries.
While collecting the letters one afternoon, Sophie discovers a loose rock in the balcony wall and removes it, revealing a 53-year-old letter written to Juliet. Feeling inspired, Sophie writes Juliet’s response letter, hoping that the writer is still alive. Just a few days later, the 68-year-old author of the letter (Vanessa Redgrave, Mission: Impossible) arrives in Verona on a mission to find her lost love from 53 years prior. Of course, she brings her strapping man-boy grandson who draws the attention of Sophie’s heart. Together, the three of them head out on a journey through Italy’s beautiful countryside to find the man she loved.
As unoriginal as Letters To Juliet may be, the charisma, charm and honesty of the characters makes it an enjoyable romantic comedy. The romance story is fun and playful, but the unforeseeable story about Redgrave and her “Romeo” is heartfelt. Because the twists of the story are obvious and cliché, the film takes itself lightly, even poking fun at its own faults and corny flaws.
I cannot think of a single female that would not enjoy Letters To Juliet. Guys on dates and those who don’t mind any occasional chick flick won’t hate it either. Letters To Juliet is sweet, kind and even pretty funny at times.
Photo credit: Summit Entertainment
(3 out of 5)
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