Plot: Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) goes to Italy with her boyfriend, while site-seeing she goes to Juliet's house -- the Juliet from Romeo and Juliet. In the movie, as in real life(!), women send letters to Juliet asking advice. In the movie, Sophie finds a letter hidden for fifty years, and tries to answer the letter -- as if she were Juliet. In time, she hooks up with the now elderly Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) who brings her grandson Charlie (Christopher Egan) to Italy. They crisscross the Italian country-side looking for Lorenzo (Franco Nero). In time Sophie begins to like Charlie, but she goes back to New York with her boyfriend, but wait --- the movie ends with a happy Hollywood ending.
Review: The story is the lightest fluff you could want, but it has beautiful Italian travelog photography, and vivid performances from Amanda Seyfried -- who carries the movie. Vanessa Redgrave carries off her part with dignity, but she is really to lovesick and idealistic to be believable. The whole reason this movie is not intensely awful is Amanda.
There is real chemistry between Christophen Egan and Amanda though, and this makes the first two thirds of the movie pleasant.
The movie gets stomach-wretching syrupy sweet at the end, but the characters are likeable so I wanted them to get the fairy tale ending destiny intended.
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Egan
Directed by: Gary Winick (written by male writers Jose Rivera and Tim Sullivan)
Rating: 2.5 flasks
More: If you can believe it, Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero actually were a couple in 1966, and they have a child together.
