Letters To Juliet

OPENING: 05/14/2010

STUDIO: Summit Entertainment

RUN TIME: 105 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
What if you had a second chance to find true love?

Opening Statement
I recall fellow Judge Steve Power saying once, “Whenever someone describes a movie to me where I think ‘Man, my mother would really like that,’ it’s a sure-fire sign for me to stay away!” Coming out a week after Mother’s Day, Letters To Juliet is one of those movies inside and out. Is it a fresh spin on an age-old story, or should you take Steve’s advice?

Facts Of The Case
Aspiring writer Sophie (Amanda Seyfried, Dear John) works for New Yorker magazine as a fact-checker. She’s been waiting almost a year for her boyfriend Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal, The Limits Of Control), to marry her, but he seems to care more about his career as an Italian chef. Undaunted, Sophie decides to fly to Italy with Victor for a “pre-honeymoon” of sorts; disappointingly, he wants to spend more time sampling Italy’s cuisine rather than be with her. Finally, Sophie decides to go off on her own sight-seeing adventure.

When she spies a group of people writing letters and pinning them to a brick wall, she’s intrigued…eventually following the woman who takes them all down, throwing them in a basket. What she discovers is the letters are addressed to “Juliet” (from Shakespeare’s teen tragedy) and a handful of women meet on a regular basis to “answer” the letters one by one. Because they are in need of an English translator, Sophie offers to help them, especially since she’s more interested in her writing than the food Victor wants her to try.

As luck or fate (take your pick) would have it, Victor suddenly gets an offer to go to a wine festival, leaving Sophie to continue answering Juliet’s letters. One letter she finds particularly catches her eye; it was written by Claire (Vanessa Redgrave, Atonement) back in 1957, hidden inside the brick wall all these years. She responds, only to be lambasted by Charlie (Christopher Egan, Eragon) for giving his grandmother false hope about finding a long-lost Italian lover named Lorenzo. Boldly, Amanda decides to help Claire as they traverse the country looking for Lorenzo…much to Charlie’s dismay.

The Evidence
When I walked into the screening for Letters To Juliet my expectations were lower than the Marianas Trench. This is largely because the romantic comedies in the past year have been not only forgettable but downright painful; Hollywood has forgotten the crucial ingredients for the genre and have ended up with burned meatloaf and overcooked potatoes much of the time. The two Rom-coms I sunk my teeth into this year (Leap Year and When In Rome) are perfect examples; the former simply ripped off It Happened One Night (1934), the granddaddy of all romantic comedies, and the latter had such a massive waterfall of lame jokes it made old Pauly Shore flicks seem tolerable.

What was so frightening is, for the first 20 minutes, Letters In Juliet was about to collapse on itself without even getting started. The loud contrivances early on made me want to shout at the screen in protest—such as when Sophie’s eventual love interest makes his introduction literally seconds after the typically selfish fiancée exits. Like Leap Year and When In Rome, the international setting seemed like an excuse for pretty scenery rather than being beneficial to the story. Also, I wasn’t quite convinced Amanda Seyfried had the clout to carry her own movie, even if it wasn’t created specifically for her as a vehicle to expand her talents.

Get ready for a surprise: Letters To Juliet actually ends up being a satisfying little tale. First of all, it generously eschews the mean-spiritedness and crassness so many of its 2009 cousins possessed; the film isn’t tempered by the requisite shenanigans such as “meet cute” moments, obnoxious physical gags and cheap insults. In essence, Letters To Juliet is more of a love story since the comedy is light and sparse, a truly welcome relief. Once Sophie hooks up with Claire and Charlie on this bittersweet odyssey across Italy, it slowly finds its own voice and sincerely sneaks up on you. Thanks to engaging restraint provided by screenwriters Jose Rivera & Tim Sullivan, Letters To Juliet goes pretty far on the cast’s likeability and reasonably believable turns.

What’s more, this is a nice comeback for director Gary Winick, who scored home runs with 13 Going On 30 and Charlotte’s Web; last year, he gave us the god-awful farce Bride Wars, but now he’s back on track. Winick is well aware of Juliet’s limitations, and he manages to pull us in with the picture’s enticing mood and romantic flavor; punctuated by small moments of sweetness and honesty that, more often than not, ring true. It’s a pleasant journey overall, maintaining its focus on our three main characters without going off on unnecessary detours. Plus, he’s not overly concerned about the Italian setting as we enter quaint villas and travel over green country-sides; they give us a good idea of where we are, yet Winick (wisely) doesn’t allow the camera to linger on such sights. This is a film, not a travelogue.

Much of the movie’s success rests squarely on the shoulders of Amanda Seyfried. The 24-year-old jumped into the spotlight with Mean Girls, following up that debut with winning turns in Mamma Mia! and Jennifer’s Body. Her performance in Letters To Juliet isn’t flashy, though it’s certainly isn’t charmless either; easily topping the attempts made by Amy Adams and (*shudder*) Kristen Bell earlier in the year. Seyfried may not be Oscar material yet, but she knows how to get inside a character’s head, allowing us to wonder what she’s thinking. Also, I think she’s very cute, yet she never uses her looks to gain attention like so many other contemporary young actresses.

Still, it’s rather disappointing the two guys aren’t in the same league. As Victor, Bernal isn’t as grating as he sounds, but he also appears to be trying too hard in his handful of scenes; he reminds one of Russell Brand on expired Ritalin, his conversational topics restricted to only food and wine. Egan is marginally better; he’s appealing enough, never transforming into a sour egghead who feels the need to criticize Amanda’s good-hearted intentions every five minutes (he’s more of a realist than a smart-ass). Unfortunately, he does fall prey to the character’s flatness, never injecting enough color or flamboyancy to achieve the level of romantic passion the role cries out for. Both men are easily outshone by veteran Vanessa Redgrave; she doesn’t quite steal the film, but she sparkles every time she’s onscreen as the grandmother constantly torn over following her mind or her heart.

When all is said and done, Juliet’s only major liability is the lack of chemistry between Amanda and Charlie. Yes, you do sense an attraction between them. Yes, they look good together and make an attractive couple. But there’s no resonance to their potential union, nothing memorable to really make them stand alongside other great screen couples. The creators may have made the dynamics too safe; it’s also possible Seyfried and Egan never really found the right notes to make the connection palpable between their characters. Whatever the reason, it never makes the transition from congenial romantic drama to legendary love story, one the viewer would like to visit again and again. For now, Letters To Juliet is merely a cut or two above, and nothing more. It’s no Before Sunset, that’s for sure.

Closing Statement
As a rental down the road, Letters To Juliet is perfectly ideal for couples to watch while cuddling up on the couch. There is no reason to see this in the theater…except for men to make it up to their significant others for dragging them to see Iron Man 2. Trust me, guys: women will love this movie and they will thank you when it’s over.

The Verdict
Seyfried and Juliet are found not guilty.
7/10

Mamma Mia!

Opening Date: 07/18/2008

STUDIO: Universal

TRAILER: Trailer

ACCOMPLICES: Official Site

The Charge
A mother. A daughter. Three possible fathers. A trip down the aisle you’ll never forget!

Opening Statement
This past weekend, movie-goers had the choice between two new movies: a comic book adventure featuring the Caped Crusader battling the Joker; or a sassy musical about an over-the-hill, former slut who prepares for her daughter’s wedding. For most, the decision was not a difficult one.

Facts of the Case
All Sophie (Amanda Seyfried, Mean Girls) wants is for her real father to escort her down the aisle at her forthcoming wedding. Trouble is, he could be one of three men: Sam (Pierce Brosnan, The Matador), Harry (Colin Firth, Then She Found Me), or Bill (Stellan Skarsgârd, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End). And the only way to find out is to invite them all to her mother’s (Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada) Greek isle resort! What follows is a series of encounters, arguments, and blessings, all musically emphasized by a bunch of ABBA songs.

The Evidence
Rest assured, Mamma Mia! doesn’t have a chance to beat Batman’s butt at the box office. Nevertheless, it was given a huge head start in England, where it has already racked up almost $12 million, knocking Will Smith’s Hancock to second place. To U.S. audiences, that may be nothing to brag about, but there was plenty of singing at the theater I attended. The audience was going nuts for the musical numbers, enthusiastically crooning along with the actors on the screen, as they belted out the familiar tunes. And the scary part: I actually joined them… at times, anyway.

In truth, this was far from the wonderful musical extravaganza I was expecting. I have never seen the stage show; yet, since seeing the great 1994 film Muriel’s Wedding, I’ve been a fan of ABBA’s music. (Every time “Dancing Queen” starts playing, I seriously do feel the inclination to join in its joyous jubilee.) The smashing musical numbers were surely the highlight of Mamma Mia!, an overblown song-and-dance movie which almost collapses under its own weight due to an inexperienced director and a lot of curiously convoluted choreography.

Musicals have made an impressive comeback in the 21st century. It started with Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, followed by the vastly overrated, Best Picture-winner Chicago. Since then, we’ve had other projects like Rent, Dreamgirls, and Hairspray, all of which have rejuvenated and rekindled the genre with surprising conviction. Despite the fact that Mamma Mia’s spirit is so high—and energy so invigorating—it disappoints in spite of its stage success, making it a mild musical which only partially succeeds.

Oddly enough, the weakest element is Phyllida Lloyd’s direction. She directed the original stage production and obviously has a lot of passion for the material. The problem is, she’s so inexperienced behind the camera it shows. Mamma Mia! boasts an idyllic setting and many talented actors, but she never takes full advantage of either. The Greek island location is too stagy and too restricted to enhance the cinematic scope. What’s worse, she’s so bent on moving around with the camera, she ends up losing focus on the principals as they break out. Her use of slow-mo shots are distracting to the point of annoying; even the fantastic “Dancing Queen” sequence is briefly compromised because of this ill-fated decision. Then there’s the choreography, which would make Jerome Robbins roll over in his grave. I didn’t expect the filmmakers to strive to perfection, but “sloppy” has been used in many reviews regarding this fundamental element. Many of the numbers feel awkward and cluttered, almost to the point where the supplementary singers are distracting. The energy is there, it just isn’t executed properly, making Mamma Mia! a jumbled mess.

Still, despite all its shortcomings, the film delights thanks to a willing cast, such as when Streep sings the title tune after discovering her ex-boyfriends, or when Baranski booms to “Does Your Mother Know?” while the background beach dancers add to the proceedings. At first, I was uneasy at the idea of Meryl Streep singing and dancing, but she is a triumph, proving once again she is one of the finest actresses the silver screen has ever been blessed with. She’s an absolute joy to watch, marvelously aided by Christine Baranski and Julie Walters, who are both very funny as her fellow dancing divas. Their closing numbers are knockouts, if a bit anticlimactic. Kudos also to Amanda Seyfried, an up-and-coming talent who is irresistible from the first frame to last, as the daughter determined to have her dream come true.

Unfortunately, the male actors don’t measure up. Pierce Brosnan, as charming as he is, looks so uncomfortable singing that he is almost straining trying to keep up with the music. Just watch him during “S.O.S.” and you will be shocked that no one from the crew sent out a distress signal. Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgârd are engaging, but deserve more screen time, as both virtually disappear in the second half. The real standout among the guys is Dominic Cooper as Sophie’s fiancé, whose voice soars during the “Lay All Your Love On Me” duet with Seyfried.

Closing Statement
Mamma Mia! needs no more criticism. Those who are fans of ABBA, the show, or musicals in general will likely get a kick out of it, while others will be rather embarrassed to be in the same theater with the dedicated. The cast and music are admittedly first-rate, and to those buying tickets, that’s all that really matters.

The Verdict
Oh, hell… Not Guilty.

6/10