While I enjoy a thriller as much as the next person, there is one thing I find great enjoyment in. Romantic, full force, all out, chick flicks. In Letters to Juliet the promise of great sap and wonderful cliche is answered and then kicked up a notch. And while there is sap and cliche this movie is a wonderful reminder of what people should think about love, and how cynical we have actually become in a world of cyber connections and friend networks. We aren't really connected any more, and LtJ brings forward the idea of strong, long lasting connections.
The film is about a young fact checker for the New Yorker who while on a pre-wedding honeymoon (backwards right?) in Verona, Italy, discovers a 50 year old letter asking Juliet Capulet for relationship advice. Sophie writes a reply which sets events in motion that eventually land her at a wedding on a balcony with a young man climbing the walls to profess his love for her.This movie brought to mind some of my favorite films. Pride and Prejudice, Ten things I hate about You, and Under the Tuscan Sun were just a few. It also can be said that it borrows parts for the Romeo and Juliet story(DUH) but was less like it that I expected.
While I enjoyed the story line, it was predictable. I enjoyed the scenic views and music of the film much more. If a film has good musical direction I will enjoy it, but here there was an even deeper and more personal connection in the location of this film. Recognizing the streets and piazzas in the film really heightened my ability to visualize the atmosphere more fully. The music was a mix of fun romantic numbers, Italian covers, and orchestral pieces. There was one song that was cute to use and expected, I found that the use of the Taylor Swift "Romeo and Juliet" song in the climax of the movie a little over the top, and unnecessary. If that had been part of the opening credits I would have felt better about it.
All in all this was an enjoyable film. I will be getting the DVD, or possibly seeing it again to catch anything i might have missed the first time. I say see it.
Film: Letters to Juliet
Director: Gary Winick
Writer: Jose Rivera, Tim Sullivan
Cinematographer: Marco Pontecorvo
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Egan
Studio: Applehead Pictures
