Letters to Juliet - Movie review

Letters to Juliet
U/A; romance
Dir: Gary Winick
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Gael Garc ufffda Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Egan
Rating: ''



What's it about: With a title like Letters To Juliet you wouldn't be second-guessing what's coming your way. Italy is a popular setting for Hollywood romances that end on the boulevard overlooking some scenic vineyard, or have proposal scenes around the fountain of love. Sophie (Amanda) is engaged to a food-obsessed chef Victor (Gael) who whisks her to Verona on a work trip. Not knowing what to expect, she decides to go on auto pilot and let her senses do the work. While Victor gets busy attending wine auctions and food tasting events, Sophie stumbles upon a quaint little nook where women of all ages write letters addressed to a certain Juliet posting them in a brick wall. These personal confessions often talk about heartbreak or unrequited love. One particular letter written by Claire (Vanessa) to her lover Lorenzo some fifty years ago catches Sophie's attention. In an effort to give this story closure she meets Claire's grandson Charlie (Egan) and goes on a hunt with them to find the missing piece in the puzzle.

What's hot: The film makes no qualms about being an all out chick flick. It has every ingredient in the cookbook of schmaltzy romances. Apart from the eye candy location, there's Gael Garcia Bernal who effortlessly plays the quirky boyfriend who believes in talking with his hands just because they're in Italy. Once Sophie takes off on the journey with Claire and Charlie, there are some interesting moments along the way. The protagonist's instant dislike to her foreseeable future love interest is obvious, but the way it's played out is interesting. Vanessa Redgrave adds class and panache to the plot with her sheer presence.

What's not: Amanda Seyfried is steadily burning out her girl next door image and heading towards a tipping point of being another Jennifer Aniston in the making. Her doe-eyed expressions and coy smiles seem rehearsed and forced as she lazily moves from one meandering sub plot to another. Then there's the question of her chemistry with Egan. To put it simply, the only time she looked amazing on screen was when Queen Meryl Streep thought she was worthy of being in the same frame with her in Mamma Mia. Even the good-looking Channing Tatum (Dear John) was of no help. When she starts looking for the right Lorenzo and they end up bumping into the wrong ones (since it's a common last name in Italy) it seems like a ploy to increase the film's length. Also, in the age of GPS and Internet, trying to locate a single individual in a small town doesn't seem like a task big enough to weave a movie around.

What to do: Wait for it to premier on HBO. These letters to Juliet have nothing new to say to us.