Few critics or fellow film fans have given this period romance much slack, perhaps expecting more passion or more overt drama. As it's a Somerset Maugham adaptation, the simple tale deals with folks whose manner does not allow for much passion, who live in a period where reasonable marriages are prized--and that is the problem our repressed heroine, Kristen Scott Thomas faces as she grapples with oncoming age and a lack of financial resources; she meets American rascal Sean Penn, who is not Cary Grant nor was meant to be, but a playful lover who lives for the moment; it's refreshing to see Penn stretch different acting muscles without the usual angst and anger; There are numerous side benefits for those who enjoy an immersion in period--Tuscany during the rise of repressive Fascism, the Villa on well-manicured grounds, and Anne Bancroft deliciously dishy as a self-indulgent American princess. It's not a great film by any means, but I recommend it as a leisurely cinematic amble for a Sunday afternoon matinée. Afterwoods you can go out on the lawn for a game of croquet.
Review of Up at the Villa
