Enchanted April

When life is not leading towards anywhere promising, stop, go somewhere else, relax, restore and restart. The movie has been on air in town for a brief period, about ten days in a very small cinema at a sleazy area. Though I missed the show, some ten years later I borrowed it from British Council again, now the library of BC has been closed down. Magic Italy, who can resist its charm? Rational and cool-headed English people always find the southern Mediterranean countries a place to channel their suppressed feeling and emotion, and Italy of course is one of the choices. At that conservative time, married housewives usually travelled overseas with their husbands. These four women who were suffering from various kinds of unhappiness find refuge to lick their crooked feathers at an Italian island. After reflecting on their lives, they are much refreshed. And further afield in London, during the absence of their wives, the husbands also have revelation about their life goals and go to the island to join their life partners. And happily, the cynical Caroline Dester found her love too. The cinematography was lyrical and comforting, a landmark of many European movies. Solely by watching without thinking careful about the people or other things, the movie soothes one's weary soul and heart. I tried to dig up Elizabeth von Arnim's other novels but they were not available easily now. Thank you Mike Newell, otherwise we'll never know her and her enchanting works.

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source: Enchanted April

One of my all time favourite films, ever. Just beautiful, full of human emotion, wit, humour, intelligence. The story grows, as does the lesson of life, just a wonderful film in so many ways. The cast are also fantasic..... a great selection of the finest British talent around. I loved them all for every diverse element brought into the film. Italy has to be one of the most romantic places to form a story such as this, - everything about this film works. I love it :)

I think this movie is absolutely beautiful. And I'm not referring only to the breathtaking scenery. It's about two unhappy English housewives who decide to rent an Italian castle to take a break from their not so happy home lives. In the end four women total rent the place together, all with different personalities and different reasons for being there. In this magically beautiful place they all find the peace they're longing for and interestingly that peace comes from inward reflections and resolutions, more so than without. I also find it wonderful because of the relationships that are developed out kindness and understanding. The acting is a joy to watch in itself. I especially love the characters of Lottie (Josie Lawrence) and Lady Caroline (Polly Walker).

After being involved in the theatrical version i find the film version disjointed and boring. Lines said by one character in the play are said by a different character in the film and some characters have entirely different names. There also seems to me an excessive amount of editing between locations. (There is even more jumping around between London scenes than the play.) Also the scene where Mellersh is eating near the beginning of the film i find repulsive and unnecessary. Once the action moves to Italy the film improves, but not enough to save it ultimately. Jim Broadbent, although an actor i enjoy watching, was miscast in this outing.

This is one of the best movies. It is one of my favorites. A movie with good acting. The story is very sensitive and touching. Good camera work also. The names of the actresses and actors are not at the top of the American Star list. However, they give equal or better performances than the top of the list. It is such a pleasure to see a movie about true love, romance, friendship without having to endure watching someone having to kick-box their way to save the world. If you don't like this movie then you have no heart or feelings. Then go watch a sports movie. There is no killing or horror here. See the movie. It is a must. TH

Two thirds of nearly 2,000 IMDb users who have voted on this film have rated it at 8, 9 or 10 and one user reports wearing out six videotapes (Was this a record, or merely a faulty VCR?). Although the film is primarily intended as a period piece it clearly has a quite unusual fascination. But for some reason I imagined it as largely whimsy and until recently never felt the urge to watch it. My mind was changed by Elizbeth Von Arnim's original book. My wife loves reading but her sight no longer allows her to read much so she borrowed it in talking book form. Such books are usually irritating to a companion who is busy with other things, but I gradually came to appreciate that this one was seductively soothing, although in no way syrupy, and was also very well written. I realised my wife would enjoy watching the film, and so decided to buy her the videotape. I am now very glad that I did, and would certainly recommend its purchase to anyone else who appreciates a quiet reflective work with no fireworks but with well constructed character development and a very successful pre-Mussolini Italian atmosphere. The story is set in the immediate post WW1 period and starts with two married London ladies who decide to pool their savings and enjoy a holiday together, away from their families, in a rented villa in Italy. Force of circumstances lead to this couple being joined by two others with very different characters and backgrounds. Its theme is essentially no more than the interactions that take place as their holiday progresses, not only between these four very disparate mature ladies, but also with the occasional male visitor. If you want action, thrills, dramatic sex scenes, natural or man-made disasters, or Harlequin style romances this would not be the film for you. But IMDb users have collectively and very emphatically demonstrated that none of these are necessary for a film to prove highly rewarding to watch, and if you care to give it a try you may, as I did, come to rank it among your much loved films. It is fairly rare for me to watch a film of a book with which I am already familiar. In many cases I find this takes some of the pleasure away from watching the film, but here there is such a strong visual appeal in the setting that I actually found my pleasure augmented by the anticipation of seeing the next segment of the book, effectively unrolled before my eyes. (Perhaps Italy itself has some part in this, the last time I had this experience was when I was watching tales from Boccaccio's Decameron on TV.) Generally films of books tend to increase the dramatic level of the original work to ensure that the filmed version has an even wider appeal, but here if anything it is reduced in order to keep the viewers attention on the gradual character development rather than on any background events. This works very well, although changes from the book are few and basically the film remains true to the original story. Great credit is due to the Director, Mike Newell, and all members of the cast, particularly those well known British Actresses who play the four principal ladies.

My all-time favorite movie. Oscar-caliber work by everyone involved, both in front of and behind the camera. The screenplay is perfect, and works out the relationship between Lady Caroline and George Briggs in a completely satisfying way, unlike the novel. The care with which the other leading characters have been drawn is a tribute to screen writer Peter Barnes, and the intense visual beauty should have won Oscars for director Mike Newell and cinematographer Rex Maidment. It is Josie Lawrence's best work by far, and transformed my opinion of Joan Plowright. Having watched this movie at least 50 times, I can find no fault in it. The music, by famed composer Richard Rodney Bennet is a marvel.

For anyone who's judged others at first meeting, here is the perfect tutorial on depth of character. The grumpy old lady has a soft, thoughtful heart - and needs new friends. The flighty, unsure, 'ditsy' dame who makes inappropriate, uncomfortable comments - sees deep into your soul and has pure love for all. The cold, prim, proper, neglected wife has passion simmering that could boil over at any minute - given the right setting. The perfect beauty - rich, sweet, partying, pursued by throngs - wants peace, quiet, and love without possessiveness. By taking the time to look beyond the surface, you will find treasures in everyday life, from the least expected sources. All it takes is patience and a touch of enchantment.