Letters to Juliet – An eOne Films’ Release

http://LettersToJuliet-Movie.com/

DVD Release Date: September 14th, 2010

Rated PG for mature theme

Running time: 105 minutes

 

Gary Winick (dir.)

 

Jose Rivera (writer)

Tim Sullivan (writer)

 

Amanda Seyfried as Sophie

Christopher Egan as Charlie

Gael García Bernal as Victor

Vanessa Redgrave as Claire

 

Our reviews below:

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Letters to Juliet DVD Review By John C.

*** (out of 4)

When Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) travels to Verona, Italy with her fiancé Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal), she stumbles upon a courtyard where hundreds of letters to Romeo’s Juliet are stashed by heartbroken young women.  The letters are collected by the Secretaries of Juliet – a group of women who personally respond to each letter.  When Sophie finds one from 1957, she writes back to Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) who broke apart from her lover Lorenzo some 50 years ago.  Sophie is soon met by Claire and her skeptical grandson Charlie (Christopher Egan), and they go on a journey together to try to track down the lost love.

 

For the most part, this has not been a good year for romantic-comedies.  But there are exceptions to every rule and Letters to Juliet is fortunately one of the good ones.  It’s corny and predictable, yes, but it’s also a lot sweeter and rings truer to the human heart than all of this year’s bad rom-coms put together.  With likable actors and many charming moments of comedy, Letters to Juliet is a good-looking and heartwarming love letter to Italy that is sure to leave a smile on your face.

 

The Blu-ray includes deleted and extended scenes, a couple of featurettes, and a standard DVD on the disc’s flipside.

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Letters to Juliet DVD Review By Erin V.

***1/4 (out of 4)

In Letters to Juliet, Amanda Seyfried plays Sophie, a writer from New York who is engaged to be married to an Italian-American.  Before the wedding, they take a trip to Verona, although he spends practically all his time meeting with vendors for his new restaurant.  Meanwhile, left alone on what was supposed to be like a pre-honeymoon trip, Sophie occupies her time with sight-seeing.  When she discovers the wall where people world-wide come to write letters to Juliet for relationship advice, she finds a letter from 50 years ago and decides to write back.  This leads her on an adventure to help someone find a lost love that takes her to places she never imagined.

 

Like Leap Year with Amy Adams, this is an innocent romantic-comedy that opts for a story of love rather than, well, sex.  Both tell stories that are universal about love to a wide range of ages, unlike recent efforts like Going the Distance.

 

Sure, there’s the good possibility that being of half-Irish, half-Italian heritage, I was partial to these two movies (Leap Year & Letters to Juliet), but I also think there’s just a sweetness they both have that puts them in the group of ‘what’s not to like?’  For those in the mood for a nice rom-com, this is your chance to check out Letters to Juliet now that it’s on DVD.

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Letters to Juliet DVD Review By Nicole

***1/2 (out of 4)

It is a rare treat these days to see a romantic-comedy that any age can enjoy.  Letters to Juliet is one of those rare gems.  The film follows Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), a young aspiring writer working for the New Yorker.  She is engaged to Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal), a young Italian-American who is opening a new restaurant in New York.  The two go on a trip to Verona, Italy, famous as the city where Shakespeare’s Juliet first met Romeo.  In Verona, Sophie comes across a wall where lovesick individuals write to Juliet and get a response from one of her “secretaries.”  Sophie finds a letter from fifty years ago, and decides to respond to it herself.  The letter writer, Claire (Vanessa Redgrave), is now a widow and a grandmother.  She arrives in Italy with her handsome but cynical grandson Charlie (Christopher Egan),  on a quest to find Lorenzo, her lost love who was the subject of the letter.  Sophie , Claire, and Charlie all go on a journey to track him down.  As Claire seeks the one she loves, Sophie begins to realize that sometimes love can be found when you least expect it.

 

This film is totally predictable, and you’re probably wondering why I am giving it such a ridiculously high rating.  Well, this movie is sweet, the acting is good, and the scenery is beautiful.  How many romantic comedies are actually about romance and true love anymore?  Innocent romantic comedies are unfortunately an endangered species these days.  Buy Letters to Juliet, as this is a lovely film that you will want to watch again and again.

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Letters to Juliet DVD Review By Maureen

*** (out of 4)

Letters to Juliet is a lovely change of pace from the majority of romantic comedies on the market recently.  Set in beautiful Verona, Italy, this charming movie has a sweet, old-fashioned romantic feel to it.  Free of rude language, nudity, excessive drinking, partying and so on, true love gets to be sealed with no more than a sweet kiss.

 

The story revolves around a young writer, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) who travels to Italy with her restaurant owner fiance Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal).  While in Verona, Sophie discovers a wall where locals and tourists leave love letters asking advice from Shakespeare’s Juliet.  Sophie meets up with a group of local women who act as Juliet’s secretaries answering the many letters.  When Sophie finds a 50-year-old unanswered letter from a woman named Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) she feels compelled to answer Claire’s letter.  Claire comes to Verona with her grandson, Charlie (Christopher Egan) and with Sophie’s help the trio set out on a road trip through the country side surrounding Verona to find Claire’s first love, Lorenzo Bartellini (Franco Nero).  Naturally there are a lot of Lorenzo Bartellinis around Verona.  Some of the funniest scenes are those with the wrong Lorenzos.

 

Even though the plot is completely predictable, this is a real treat to watch.  The scenery is beautiful, the acting fine all around, and the romantic conclusion is just what you hope it would be.  Letters to Juliet is the perfect movie if you are in the mood for sweet, old-fashioned romance, especially if you love Italy.

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Letters to Juliet DVD Review By Tony

*** (out of 4)

Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is an aspiring writer working for the New Yorker as a fact-checker. Her fiancé Victor (Gael García Bernal) is a chef who is passionate–about food.  Before getting married they are going on a pre-honeymoon in Italy where Victor is visiting a number of suppliers for the Italian restaurant he is opening.  Quickly bored by Victor’s junkets, Sophie discovers the wall in Verona where women have left lovelorn Letters to Juliet, and joins the group of women known as “Juliet’s secretaries” who respond to them. She answers a letter found behind a loose brick that has been there for fifty years.  A few days later the English woman Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) who wrote the letter comes with her reluctant grandson Charlie (Christopher Egan) to look up the man she left behind. Sophie helps Claire find her Lorenzo (Redgrave’s long-time partner Franco Nero) only after going through a number of other Lorenzos on her list. Meanwhile the initial dislike between Charlie and Sophie softens, leading to a sweet if predictable ending.

 

Set mainly in the Italian countryside, Letters to Juliet is a beautiful film to watch. The cast is all fine, particularly the women Sophie, Claire, and the charming “secretaries”. As for the men: Charlie is annoying at first, Victor’s enthusiasm for food is compelling, and all the Lorenzos are interesting in their own ways in brief roles.  Despite some cheesy Italian pop tunes, the musical score is serviceable. Though admittedly slight, Letters to Juliet is nicely done, sure to charm all but the most cynical.

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Consensus: Letters to Juliet is a heartwarming and good-looking romantic-comedy that takes place in the beautiful city of Verona, Italy.  It’s admittedly predictable, but with likable actors, a sweet story and no objectionable content, it will appeal to a wide audience. *** (Out of 4)