Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Under the Tuscan sun (2003), based on the book of the same title, is a sweet charming tale about love, sex, relationships, and other adult elements. Diane lane really shows her raw acting talent and shines as Francesca, and she interacts and works well with all her co-stars. Sandra Oh plays a great character here too, she is a great best friend to Lane, and is dramatic and funny at the same time. I also love the way they treated her as a lesbian, they didn't stereotype her to be a certain way just because she is a lesbian, she was just a normal character, which is refreshing to see. The script is well written and well thought out. The one sexual scene is filmed beautifully and is acted beautifully too by the two actors involved in it. It was not overly sexual or over the top raunchy, it was so elegant and romantic, and well lit as well. Marcello is good here too, his character is necessary to the movie overall, and he was well casted, the actor that played him is sexy, romantic, and charming, just how he needed to be. 9/10 overall, a very entertaining and well made film to enjoy.

It's not often I don't manage to plow trough a movie, but the writing on this one was undoubtedly the worst I have seen in a long time.The bafflingly horrible dialogue and characterization was insulting for a viewer with even a shred sense. Was this a film student project gone horribly awry? In a character driven movie, you'd think there would be at least a little effort made on the way characterization. Basically what this movie boils down to is the scenery with a cheesy plot, even worse dialogue and no real heart or mind behind it. Cheap money grab form dimwits to dimwits.If I absolutely would have to say anything good about it, is that most of the shots where in focus.

This movie shows you how to live your life and dare to make your dreams come true. It's about taking a leap of faith when you least expect it and however terrifying it is, daring to see it through. It's also a story about love and how you really only can give love, when your life is full and you truly love yourself. The movie shows you a beautiful sight of Italy where classic villagers and modern life go hand in hand. You see a woman who finds herself at the total bottom of her life, and the only way she can go is up. It takes some people a year, some almost a lifetime but the only thing that matters is the road. It doesn't matter how long it takes for you to get to where you want to, but if you make it, that's when your life truly begins. Home really is where the heart is.

Under the Tuscan Sun's storyline was a beautiful account of a young woman moving on to new adventures and an unexpected lifestyle in the gorgeous countryside of Italy. Diane Lane did a wonderful job bringing this character to life on the big screen and her portrayal of the endearing main character was a thorough joy. Slapstick comedy during the renovations to the old villa and the endearing characteristics of the Italian people were wonderful additions and the romantic element was enough to make your soul sigh. The scenery in this movie grabbed my heart and wouldn't let go and was the impetus for my husband and I to set off on our own adventures to discover those picturesque Etruscan towns perched high on the hillsides of Tuscany. Thanks to this movie the streets and people of Cortona now feature on the pages of my own novel "Silken Images" under my pen name Jennifer Larmar. Like Frances Mayer, my heart was captivated by this fascinating little town with stories of its residents still resounding in my spirit years later. A thoroughly enjoyable movie, perfect for a rainy day snuggled under the covers with a good wine and hopefully the love of your life beside you.