My House in Umbria (Maggie Smith)

(Amazon UK link)

It's about eight and a half years since we first watched ‘My House in Umbria’, and we had entirely forgotten what it was about. I barely glanced at the box as we put the DVD in to watch last night, and was delighted to hear - and then see - Maggie Smith as the main protagonist. She is playing the part of the successful novelist Emily Delahunte, who lives in a large house in Italy. She’s probably supposed to be in her sixties, or early seventies, and we meet her as she catches a train to Milan, rather at the last minute.

Emily is in a carriage with several other people, and as a writer she naturally glances at them, and wonders about their stories. There’s a young German couple, apparently in the first flushes of romance. There’s an elderly military man (Ronnie Barker) with his daughter, and an American married couple, clearly comfortable with each other, and their daughter Aimee (Emmy Clarke).  Emily speaks to Aimee, who is a little reserved, not helped by her mother telling her not to ask so many questions.

Then disaster strikes out of the blue in a shocking moment - and we next see Emily in hospital, with severe injuries. She recovers gradually, and learns that just three of the people from her carriage survived, one of them being Aimee. Aimee has stopped talking, after the trauma, and doesn’t appear to have any relatives so Emily decides to invite her, together with the other two survivors, to stay at her house in Umbria to convalesce, and to find somewhere to process their grief.

At this point we had remembered at least part of the story, and the locations, which are gorgeous. Emily is an excellent hostess, helped by her friend and colleague Quinty (Timothy Spall). The Major (Ronnie Barker), the young German (Benno Fürmann) and Aimee gradually become like a family, and when Aimee starts talking again - albeit with a lot of memory loss - they all rejoice.

Alongside the story of the growing friendship and healing is an investigation into why the attack happened, and also some flashbacks into Emily’s past, which was one of abuse and neglect. This has perhaps led her to be such a warm-hearted and encouraging person - but as there’s no resolution of the past, it felt a bit superfluous and unnecessary. And she’s shown increasingly as a heavy drinker, something, again, which seems out of character and not entirely relevant to the story.

But the acting is excellent. No surprise with Maggie Smith, but we were also very impressed with Ronnie Barker, who is best known for his stand-up comedy routines. He was entirely believable as the Major. In addition, the scenery is stunning, and the story, overall, encouraging and uplifting. There are even one or two moments of humour, in contrast to the main themes. We hadn’t remembered how it would end - there’s a poignant climax as the party begins to disintegrate after one of Emily’s relatives is found - but then there’s an entirely satisfying (if somewhat unlikely) concluding scene that leaves some hope for the future.

All in all, we liked it very much. The rating is 12, which I think is about right. I don’t recall any bad language, and the references that make it 12 rather than PG are so quickly done that they could easily be missed. Even the horrendous violent incident and the gory hospital scenes are sensitively done, mostly implying what happens rather than showing gratuitous detail.

However, since the main characters are of retirement age, and the issues covered are quite mature, I doubt if  this film would be of interest to anyone younger than about thirty.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews

The Holiday (Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s eight years since we saw ‘The Holiday’, and we had both entirely forgotten the plot. Even as the end approached, we couldn’t remember the conclusion, although we did both have a sudden recall of particular scenes as they were shown.

It’s a Christmas film, really, although we’ve now seen it twice in the middle of the year. But while it ends on New Year’s Eve and is set over the festive season, it doesn’t particularly matter. The story involves two rather depressed (though very different) women. Cameron Diaz plays the rather over-excitable and impetuous Amanda, who lives in California. She owns a film trailer making company and lives in a large house with a pool. We meet her when she’s having a row with her boyfriend, and ends up throwing him out.

Kate Winslet is the other young woman - Iris, who lives in Surrey in the UK in a small but pretty cottage. She’s been in love with one of her colleagues for years. They were an item at one point, but he was unfaithful with another colleague. But he insists he needs her at work, and she keeps hoping he’ll see the light and go back to her…

Amanda decides she needs a real break, so she scrolls through holiday lets online, and picks on Iris’s cottage. They have a brief online chat, and agree to switch houses for two weeks. It all happens rather too easily - the details are ignored in the film - and within 24 hours each is on her way to the other side of the world. Iris is overwhelmed by the magnificence of her accommodation, complete with swimming pool, indoor gym, and enormous flatscreen TV.

Amanda is less impressed with hers, with its old-fashioned bath rather than a shower, a tiny TV, and nothing working by remote controls. Indeed, she’s all set to fly back when Iris’s brother Graham (Jude Law) arrives, hoping to crash on the sofa after an evening at the pub. Amanda is instantly attracted to him, and makes a somewhat shocking suggestion…

Iris, meanwhile, is getting to know her neighbours, in particular the elderly Arthur who used to be a film writer. He feels rather sorry for himself, struggling to get anywhere, convinced the world has forgotten him. With Iris’s help, he becomes a little fitter, and even does a presentation, talking about his career. Iris gets friendly, too, with some of Amanda’s colleagues...

The stories run alongside each other, as Amanda and Graham become closer, and she decides to stay for the full two weeks, although neither of them has any idea where the relationship is going. He has an unexpected secret which she discovers almost by chance, something which, again, we had entirely forgotten about.

Of course everything happens in a very short time-span, some of the things (such as Arthur’s increased mobility) happening with astonishing rapidity. But reality has to be suspended somewhat. There are some continuity errors and goofs - but, again, it really doesn’t matter. This is escapism at its sentimental, schmalzy best.

There’s quite a bit of humour in this film, as well as the relationship issues. It’s nicely paced and very well done - not surprisingly, with the high quality actors involved. There are deeper issues than simple romance too: loneliness, and how far to trust someone who has cheated, and when to decide to move on.

The rating is 12, which is probably due to the relatively small amount of bad language, and the lack of anything too explicit. Having said that, there are a lot of sexual references and implications, with some scenes before and after, so I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone below the age of about fifteen.

But for older teens and adults wanting an enjoyable light evening’s viewing, with an entirely satisfactory (if contrived) ending, I’d recommend this highly. Maybe one day we’ll even watch it over the Christmas period.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews

Father of the Bride II (Steve Martin)

(Amazon UK link)

We rewatched the Steve Martin version of ‘Father of the Bride’ about a month ago, so it seemed like a good idea to pull out the sequel, unoriginally called ‘Father of the Bride 2’ which we previously saw in January 2013. We vaguely remembered the story, once it had got going, but that really didn’t matter.

It’s light, it’s a bit schmaltzy, and the whole story revolves around a rather unlikely coincidence… but that really doesn’t matter. Steve Martin is so very good in his comic timing and his facial expressions that we felt quite caught up in the story.

It takes place a year or so after the first film, and Steve Martin, as George Banks, explains that he’s just about paid for his daughter Annie (Kimberley Williams-Paisley)’s wedding. He’s enjoying life, still very much in love with his wife Nina (Diane Keaton), and becoming quite fond of his son-in-law Brian (George Newbern). His house is all paid for, his son Matty (Kieran Culkin) is twelve years old and George realises that in five or six years Matty will be off to college, and then he and Nina will be free to do pretty much anything.

The story opens as Annie and Bryan arrive for a little family get-together where his parents are invited too. It’s obvious that everyone (except the slightly hapless George) assumes they’re going to announce a pregnancy… and his reaction when that eventually turns out to be the case is brilliantly done. As is his behaviour over the next week or two when he determines that he’s not going to become an old, wizened grandfather, but wants to look young and fit. So he surprises Nina with a new haircut…

Much of the humour comes from the way George and Nina react to each other, each becoming frustrated with the other at times, but also both very deeply attached. George loves his children too. He found it very hard to let go of Annie, and he worries about her. But through the film he gradually begins to accept that it’s no longer his role to protect her from everything, and that Bryan is now the first man in his daughter’s life.

There’s much more - to give any more plot would be a major spoiler, although most synopses (and the back of the DVD) give it away anyway. Suffice it to say that Franck (Martin Short) who featured in the first film appears, with his exaggerated enthusiasm and fake French accent. He takes a significant part not just in a baby shower but in events towards the end of the film.

The pace is just right, there are unexpected humorous moments, and also quite a bit of poignancy. When we first saw this film we had a married son, but we were not grandparents, although it was imminent. Now we have grandchildren, we could empathise all the more with the slightly unsatisfactory ending of the film. George has made a decision that is for his daughter’s sake, even though it’s something that is going to break his heart, at least for a while.

There are no extras on our DVD, but that didn’t matter. It was a light-weight and very enjoyable evening's viewing, and made an excellent sequel to the first ‘Father of the Bride’ film.

Definitely recommended if you like the romantic comedy genre and want something that’s almost entirely family friendly. There’s no bad language that I can remember, no violence (although some mild threats in a couple of places), and only the mildest of innuendoes. Unlikely to be of interest to younger children, but suitable for anyone of about ten and upwards. Best seen after the first film.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews

Ice Princess (Michelle Trachtenberg)

(Amazon UK link)

Every so often, browsing a second-hand stall or thrift shop, I come across a DVD which I have never heard of, but which looks like a good film. ‘Ice Princess’ was one that caught my eye recently, so I paid my fifty cents. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but assumed it would be fairly lightweight and innocent as it’s a Disney production with a U rating.

Casey (Michelle Trachtenberg) is the main character in the story. She’s sixteen, and a physics geek. She has quite a pushy mother (Joan Cusack) who is determined that she should get into Harvard University. Her physics teacher thinks she’s in with a chance of a scholarship, if she can come up with an unusual and compelling research project.

One of the things Casey does for exercise and relaxation is ice skating. She hasn’t had lessons; she skates around a large pond outside her home. But in conversation with some girls at her school who are skating in competitions, she starts wondering if she could digitise their movements, and calculate what would help with faster turns, higher jumps and other moves.

Inevitably she gets into trouble when she starts trying to film some of her classmates training, but is able to persuade one of the coaches, Tina (Kim Cattrall), and the parents that she’s not a spy, and not planning to hurt anyone or publish anything other than in her project. She gets quite excited about it, and makes some interesting discoveries… then realises that if she’s going to make this project truly personal, she should take some lessons herself and apply her principles to her own skating.

Casey and her mother don’t have spare money - her mother is a teacher, and her father isn’t in the picture - but she works in fast-food places to earn sufficient to take lessons with much younger children. And, perhaps inevitably, she turns out to have a lot of talent.

So there’s a lot of skating in the film, there’s some tension including some quite heated scenes between Casey and her mother who would be horrified if she realises how much time her daughter is giving to skating, and how much she enjoys it. There’s tension, too, with the coach Tina and her daughter Gen (Hayden Panettiere), who is being trained every moment of the day, unable to eat what she wants to eat, or to spend any time with her boyfriend. But Amy, unlike some of her friends, is not passionate about skating and would really like a more ordinary life…

It’s quite an old film now, made in 2005, but it doesn’t come across as dated (other than the lack of mobile phones). The characters are mostly three-dimensional; I particularly liked Tina’s son Teddy (Trevor Blumas) who drives the machine that smooths the ice after it’s been used. Gen has two friends who are committed skaters, also very talented, and there’s quite a bit of humour in their interactions, albeit a bit caricatured.

There’s nothing very deep about this film; it’s a ‘follow your dream’ theme, not really surprising for Disney and although there’s a bit of unpleasantness towards the end, and an attempt at sabotage, it’s all resolved relatively easily. Some of the parent-daughter scene are quite tense, but again everything turns out well at the end.

It made a pleasant hour-and-a-half’s viewing. It’s the kind of film that would be suitable for anyone, even fairly young children, although unlikely to be of much interest to anyone younger than about ten. A younger child might need to know that there are no princesses involved. The only ‘extras’ are some deleted scenes, which were interesting to watch.

Recommended if you want something light for the whole family.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews

Father of the Bride (Steve Martin)

(Amazon UK link)

We wanted something light-hearted to watch on an evening when we were both tired. We hadn’t seen the 1991 film ‘Father of the Bride’ since July 2012, and with a nine-year gap we had forgotten most of it. So it seemed like a good idea to see it again.

Steve Martin stars as George Banks, who opens the film sitting in the detritus of a wedding, evidently held in his home. He gives a monologue about his daughter growing up, and just what happens when she decides to get married…

The action switches to six months earlier when his daughter Annie (Kimberly Williams) gets home after an assignment abroad, and it’s clear that she and her father are very close. But she has an announcement to make: she hasn’t just met ‘someone’, she’s fallen in love and they are engaged. Bryan (George Newbern) arrives soon afterwards, very nervous but deeply in love.

George takes Bryan in dislike, not because there is anything objectionable about him; simply because he doesn’t want his little girl to grow up and find another man who is more important than her father. The film is about him coming to terms with that, knowing that he has to let go in order for her to be happy.

But although there are some very poignant moments, it’s also a very funny film. Steve Martin’s expressions and body language are superbly done - his comic timing is always good. Diane Keaton plays his wife Nina, who finds him frustrating at times but loves him dearly; she’s a great foil for his overreactions to situations, and plays the part of peacemaker in the family.

I should also mention Annie’s little brother Matty (Kieran Culkin). The actor was only about nine when the film was made, but he too has excellent comic timing, and a great role, with amusingly mature wisdom at times.

Most of the film covers the preparations for the wedding, organised by ‘Franck’ (Martin Short) who is an over-the-top pseudo-French and rather camp person, brilliant in his artistry but sparing no expense. Annie’s family is quite well off but, as George explains, the wedding cost more than their house - and the amounts discussed seem extortionate even now, thirty years after the film was made.

There are scenes and lines which made us laugh aloud as well as those where I felt a strong sense of empathy, particularly after 18 months of pandemic without seeing my sons or grandchildren. It’s a bit schmaltzy of course, but thoroughly enjoyable too - and exactly what we needed for an evening’s light relaxation.

Definitely recommended if you like romantic comedies with more comedy than romance. It’s rated PG which reflects the lack of violence or anything explicit. There’s almost no bad language, although there are inevitably one or two sexual references. However the subject matter is unlikely to be of interest to anyone under the age of about twelve.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews

One True Thing (Meryl Streep)

(Amazon UK link)

We had no idea what to expect when we decided to watch ‘One True Thing’. I had bought it used from a church sale because Meryl Streep was listed as one of the main characters and she’s always excellent value. But we had never heard of the film - it was made in 1998, apparently.

Ellen (Renée Zellweger) is in fact the first person we meet; she’s being interviewed, probably by a policeman or other official, and it’s clear that she realises she could be in trouble. Her mother has died, after a long illness, and it appears that there were suspicious circumstances. But we only get hints of what happened at the start. The story immediately flashes back to a surprise party given for her father George (William Hurt).

Kate (Meryl Streep) is an outgoing, organised kind of person and we meet her dressed as ‘Dorothy’ from ‘Wizard of Oz’, since the party is a fancy dress one. Ellen and the friend she’s travelled with are not dressed up; it’s immediately clear that she’s a very different personality from her mother. She’s career-minded and intelligent, and she’s also an aspiring writer who works in a news agency.

When George arrives home, he’s quite surprised; I wondered if he was going to object to the party, but it’s clear that he adores his wife even though he does very little around the house. He’s an academic who has published a book, and Ellen clearly wants his approval, seeing her mother as rather irritating and not particularly intelligent.

The party sets the scene skilfully for the different relationships within the family. Ellen has a very nice brother (Tom Everett Scott) who won’t admit to their father that he has failed an exam. He’s more like their mother in personality, but gets along well with his sister. And George is really not a good father, although his relationship with his wife seems to be a good one…

The bulk of the film takes place a while later when it’s clear that Kate has a terminal illness, and needs full-time care. George is not willing to take a sabbatical from his work, so Ellen is guilt-tripped into taking a break from her own career, despite being on the verge of a very good story. As Ellen spends more time with her mother, they finally start to acknowledge each other’s strengths, and Ellen begins to understand her a bit better…

It was quite a long film by today’s standards (over two hours) but right from the start we were mesmerised. Renée Zellweger is excellent as Ellen, and William Hurt is very good as the dislikable George. But - as is usually the case - it’s Meryl Streep who steals the show, in almost every respect. She must have been about fifty when this film was made, but could have passed for not much more than forty at the start. Her descent into serious illness, making her look twice that age by the end, is brilliantly done. I’m sure a lot of the credit must go to her make-up artiste, but as a sick woman she is entirely believable, brilliant throughout.

It’s a moving story; there are a few light-hearted moments to lift the mood a little, but although the party at the start is a little over-the-top, it manages to be believable, as does Kate despite the garish costume and extraverted cheerfulness even in the face of her somewhat condescending daughter.

It’s the kind of story that will stay with us, something we might watch again in another eight or nine years. It’s rated 15 (R in the United States!) despite no nudity, nothing explicit and no violence. Admittedly the subject matter is unsuitable for younger children, and there’s some bad language (though not excessive). The descent into agonising illness is quite disturbing too. But I don’t think there’s anything unsuitable for younger teens with reasonable maturity, and would have expected it to be rated 12 or PG-13 (as it is in some other countries).

Definitely recommended, if you like a drama with sensitive and potentially disturbing subject matter. The pace is excellent, the people so believable that we were totally caught up in the storyline. And it's quite thought-provoking too. The ending is bittersweet but overall positive, if a tad shocking.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews

Mamma Mia (Amanda Seyfried)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s ten years - almost to the day! - since my younger son and some of his friends introduced me to the musical film ‘Mamma Mia’. Set on a Greek island, liberally peppered with Abba songs, I liked it very much. So when I saw the DVD inexpensively at a sale, I thought it a good idea to buy a copy.  However I wasn’t sure if my husband would like it; he’s not a fan of musicals, in general.

Last night he suggested we watch it, thinking it could be light and relaxing. He does like Abba songs, so I mentioned that the story is essentially written around them, with not a huge amount of plot. Indeed, I hadn’t remembered much of the story at all, other than that it involved a wedding, and Meryl Streep.

Amanda Seyfried is the real star of this, however. She plays Sophie, a young woman of twenty who is about to get married. Her mother - Meryl Streep - runs a guesthouse in a Greek island, although it’s rather run-down. She and her staff are preparing a huge feast for the wedding, and rooms for guests, and there’s clearly a lot to be done.

Sophie tells her two closest friends (and bridesmaids) that she has invited three men to the party, one of whom must be her father. Her mother never told her his name, but Sophie has found her journal from twenty years earlier, and it’s clear that there are three possible candidates. Sophia wrote to them, and they have all said they’re coming… but her mother doesn’t know.

We then meet these three very different guys: Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth) and Bill (Stellan Skarsgård). Bill is a laid-back kind of guy who owns a boat. Harry is quite uptight, and Sam is a wealthy businessman. There are some deleted scenes - which we saw afterwards - that introduce them properly in context; these scenes probably wouldn’t have added much to the story but were very interesting to see later.

The three end up arriving together in Bill’s boat, and being led to a very dilapidated room by Sophie… who hasn’t told any of them that they might be her father. She thought she would just know when she met them, but this isn’t the case…

So there’s quite a comedy of errors, punctuated with musical numbers (sung by the cast, although in most cases they sound very Abba-like). There are huge crowds involved, and some amazing choreography. There’s humour (Colin Firth’s comic timing is superb) and some poignancy, too.  And of course there’s Meryl Streep, looking so like her film daughter that I wondered if the actress was her real mother. Apparently Streep was 59 when she did this role, in which she dances and leaps about like someone at least twenty years younger.

Of course it’s all rather silly, in the way that musicals are, where everyone dances and sings while the rest of the action stops. But it looked as if everyone was thoroughly enjoying themselves, and it’s so well done that I was quite caught up in the story (such as it was). My husband had spotted that some of the scenery was set in a studio, but I hadn’t noticed; it was explained in the ‘making of’ extra which we saw later.

The one person we felt didn’t quite fit the role (and really didn’t sound at all Abba-like when singing) was Pierce Brosnan as Sam. We couldn’t quite believe in him as Sam, and would have preferred him to have rather fewer solo roles. All of the actors apparently did their own singing (in a studio) and in most cases it was excellent.

Although the UK rating is PG, and there’s nothing explicit, nor any violence, there are a lot of innuendoes. There's also quite a seductive scene part-way through, although nothing comes of it. And of course the entire storyline revolves around three different people having slept with Sophie’s mother twenty years earlier. So I wouldn't recommended it for children or any younger teens who might find this shocking or embarrassing.

But with that proviso, I would definitely recommend this for a light evening’s viewing even if you don’t like musicals in general (unless you also don’t like Abba songs - there are a lot of them!).

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews