LETTERS TO JULIET Review

There is only so much to say once you have seen so many romantic comedies. They all have the same essential plots no matter what wrench the screenwriter attempts to throw into the mix. 'Letters to Juliet' is really no different, but it is a pretty high class wrench thrown in here. The concept is really quite lovely. That being the only word I feel accurately describes the tone of the film, it is hard not to enjoy most of the film even if we know, as we always do, how things will eventually end up. The conclusion isn't even important anymore, we get a happy ending because if they ever gave us a sad one we would just complain about that as well. What is key here is the casting and location, lucky for us, both are beautiful. Seyfried is on a roll, while this marks one of her highlights in some of the later rolls she has chosen. This is a dependable romantic film with touches of comedy that Seyfried should seek out more often. Vanessa Redgrave is truly stunning and although I haven't seen Egan in anything previous he is too average to rise to the leading man status. He does nothing to give us the impression that our leading lady should fall in love with him. Sure, his character makes some slight changes over the course of the story, but he is never as likeable as he should be. Verona on the other hand is gorgeous and beautifully photographed here. The bright yellows and sharp greens, the earthy tones and warm emotions they evoke create a tone in the film that would otherwise leave these actions feeling plain rather than compassionate. The trailers for this film left little to the imagination, so we know that Lorenzo will eventually show up, riding in on a white horse like something out of a storybook and believe me when I say at least a few more cheesy moments like this show up throughout the course of the film. It is the small moments that make this worth your time though. Especially through Redgrave as she meets many different Lorenzo's and can recognize why each of them are not hers through the small details. Or the way she watches her grandson fall in love with the girl that would bring her to her own true love. The understandings and depth of emotions Redgrave exposes in these little glimpses are what knock this film from cheesy romance to credible fantasy. In the end, the movie is ultimately a lovely thought. That one can still be with the one they love no matter how much time they've lost. It is sad, heartbreaking even, but we of course never get too deep into the regrets and late night cries that come with such consequences. Instead, we have a rather light, brainless romantic comedy that looks gorgeous and has a few actors that pull it past its standard expectations.

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