Movie Review: Letters to Juliet

I heard that this was a good film but I wasn't so sure because romantic comedies these days tend to be dry stuff...But I was pleasantly surprised when I watched this at home with mom & sisters :)

The Plot

Sophie Hall is a young writer who travels to Italy with her fiancé, Victor, to celebrate a pre-honeymoon, since Victor is going to open an Italian restaurant in New York. Sophie starts to feel distanced from Victor when he explores Italy for inspiration for his upcoming restaurant. She comes across a wall pasted with letters. These letters are by women who detail their heartaches to "Juliet". She observes as a woman collects the letters into a basket & Sophie follows her, only to meet the Secretaries of Juliet. She learns that this group of women write back to the owners of the letters.

When Victor leaves for a wine auction, Sophie decides to join the ladies & received a letter by an Englishwoman, Claire. Claire was 16 when she met Lorenzo & they planned to elope but pressure from her family & her own fear stopped her from meeting Lorenzo & she wrote of her anguish in her letter. Sophie responded & encouraged Claire to have the courage to find Lorenzo & explained that love then is still love now.

The Secretaries are then approached by a young British man, Charlie who confronts Sophie; turns out his grandmother is Claire & she had decided to return to Italy to find Lorenzo, as per Sophie's advice. Charlie is a cynical & doesn't believe in idealistic love stories but both women disagree & they embark on a trip across Italy to search for Lorenzo. In participating in Claire's pursuit for long-lost love, Sophie & Charlie learn the true meaning of courage & love.

The Cast

Initially it's hard to look at Amanda Seyfried smiling during the film because I was disturbingly reminded of her role in Chloe, but after the initial shock, I realized that Amanda Seyfried is one of the most versatile young actresses of today. She portrays her character's sincerity with such gusto & it was a very convincing act. Newcomer Chris Egan could use more meaty film presence but he pulled off the role of cynical, humorous & charming Charlie very well. Vanessa Redgrave is an icon; I believed every line she utters, every expression on her face: a true acting legend graced my screen for this film.

The Music

The soundtrack featured feel-good, light & easy-listening tracks, such as Taylor Swift's Love Story, Colbie Caillat's "You Got Me" & some lovely tunes like "Quando Quando Quando" & "The Magic Flute" (a Mozart's masterpiece). The music went well with the film, though there were times when it seemed too "quiet".

Conclusion

I didn't mention much about the ending because I didn't want to give too many spoilers but it's a lovely story, not like the common rom-com we get these days. It was sweet, romantic, funny & tugs at the heartstrings, like any good rom-com should do. Not to mention the great Italian landscapes; a fantastic backdrop to a good film! A definite must-watch with the ladies of your life! :)