I'm as much a fan of chick flicks as the next person but this is a chick flick I am not a fan of. Sophie is an American magazine fact checker and aspiring writer on a "pre-honeymoon" with her fiancé in Italy. She comes across a courtyard in Verona where women from all over the world are coming to leave letters for Juliet, Shakespeare's Juliet. After following a woman gathering all the letters at the end of the day Sophie finds out that a small group of women personally answer each letter. They call themselves, "Juliet's secretaries". Sophie is invited to join them in answering letters.
One evening retrieving letters, Sophie finds a letter written 50 years ago and decides to respond to the writer in hopes she is still alive. Soon after she is surprised when the grandson of the letter writer (Charlie), arrives in Verona stating that she should mind her own business. Because of her intrusion his grandmother (Claire) is in Italy foolishly attempting to find her one true love.
I was put off by how the character of the grandson, Charlie was written. He was rude which made him very unattractive. The character arc attempted to portray how he is very guarded after his parents' untimely death. It even goes on to mention how he works as a pro bono attorney. He is intended to be gruff on the outside with endearing qualities on the inside. Whatever, even after his back story I still couldn't get past the initial first impression – jerk.
As the story line continues the trio of Charlie, Claire and Sophie traipse around Verona trying to find Claire's long lost love. All they have to go on is his name Lorenzo Bartolini (which they find is quite a common name) and that fact that Claire believes he is still living in Verona. This should have been a vignette instead it took way too long. I found myself fast forwarding through each meeting with a Lorenzo Bartolini. I was bored.
The yawns continued with the Sophie and Victor (her fiancé) scenario. It was predictable, early on the audience is shown how distracted her fiancé is with his own life and aspirations. The fact that it took almost the entire movie before she dumps him is amazing.
A more interesting story would have been of "Juliet's secretaries"; the group of women that answer the letters of the distressed, confused and heartbroken. Who were these women and what brought them to the table to now be in a place to give advice to others? That would have been interesting.
Overall, it was a cute premise, but this story didn't deserve an entire movie.
www.rivareviews.com
One evening retrieving letters, Sophie finds a letter written 50 years ago and decides to respond to the writer in hopes she is still alive. Soon after she is surprised when the grandson of the letter writer (Charlie), arrives in Verona stating that she should mind her own business. Because of her intrusion his grandmother (Claire) is in Italy foolishly attempting to find her one true love.
I was put off by how the character of the grandson, Charlie was written. He was rude which made him very unattractive. The character arc attempted to portray how he is very guarded after his parents' untimely death. It even goes on to mention how he works as a pro bono attorney. He is intended to be gruff on the outside with endearing qualities on the inside. Whatever, even after his back story I still couldn't get past the initial first impression – jerk.
As the story line continues the trio of Charlie, Claire and Sophie traipse around Verona trying to find Claire's long lost love. All they have to go on is his name Lorenzo Bartolini (which they find is quite a common name) and that fact that Claire believes he is still living in Verona. This should have been a vignette instead it took way too long. I found myself fast forwarding through each meeting with a Lorenzo Bartolini. I was bored.
The yawns continued with the Sophie and Victor (her fiancé) scenario. It was predictable, early on the audience is shown how distracted her fiancé is with his own life and aspirations. The fact that it took almost the entire movie before she dumps him is amazing.
A more interesting story would have been of "Juliet's secretaries"; the group of women that answer the letters of the distressed, confused and heartbroken. Who were these women and what brought them to the table to now be in a place to give advice to others? That would have been interesting.
Overall, it was a cute premise, but this story didn't deserve an entire movie.
www.rivareviews.com