Tea with Mussolini

gregorybnyc wrote on IMDB:

TEA WITH MUSSOLINI is Zeffirelli's tribute to his own war-time

upbringing, and while it is undeniably sentimental, it is also a

wonderful movie. A young, illegitimate boy who is rejected by his

father (who is married to another) is raised by his secretary (Joan

Plowright). She is part of a group of English ex-pats living in life on

very fixed incomes in Florence on the eve of WWII. Plowright's

other peers include Maggie Smith as the insufferably snobbish

widow of a consulate, who never lets anyone forget her status.

There's also Judi Dench, an artist, who is a gentle soul and an

animal lover. Lily Tomlin is an American who keeps a watchful eye

on the ladies at the danger comes closer to engulfing them all.   [ show more ]

And then there's Cher, the widow of a rich man who comes and

goes throughout Europe in search of good art and a good time. All

these women have come to love the young boy who is now about

14 when the movie begins. Cher, whose character is Jewish is

damn near ruined by a scheming lover, and her life is in danger.

The British contingent has been sent to close quarters in Sienna

where they are forced to live in close proximity to each other, as

prisoners of war. The war is nearly over with the Americans

advancing on Sienna. The young man helps to arrange Cher's

escape and the woman stop bickering long enough to help the

Americans liberate Sienna and all ends happily.

Some have complained that Cher is terrible in this movie.

Nonsense. She's playing a head-strong, independent woman

who is in charge of her own life. This is a variation of the same

theme she has worked as an actress, entertainer and personality

for more than 40 years. The final parting with the young boy is

tear-inducing. Cher looks sensational and gives a heart-felt

performance. The ladies--Dames Joan, Maggie and Judi are

adorable and winning as expected with Lily Tomlin offering a

wonderful portrait of a tough journalist who comes to their support

when the going gets rough. The young boy as Zeffirelli is also

terrific. The scenery is gorgeous, and you can't see too many

stories about interesting, off-beat characters on the loose in Italy

as far as I'm concerned.

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spanishflea50 wrote on IMDB:

This film is one of the most touching and lovely films that I have seen in many years. Its gaggle of actresses are second to none and turn out excellant performance, Joan Plowright in particular brings an irresistable sweetness to the role. People who have commented on the film so far seem to have neglected to mention the soundtrack which is beautiful and inspiring with a wonderful piano piece. Criticism that the film is too old fashioned or that the characters are unappealing and pompous seems to miss the point, the very charm of Hester (Maggie Smith in particular)is how she overcomes her snobbery at the end and realises how much Elsa (Cher, who in any other film would doubtless be misplaced but in this case fits the role like a glove) has done for the Scorpioni. In short the film is a relic of a gentler age and is simultaniously uplifting, upsetting and relaxing. I implore everyone to hunt down the soundtrack on CD to the ends of the earth if necissary.

Sentinela wrote on IMDB:

This is a melodrama and you should not expect anything else. But what a melodrama! In the hands of a great director, using an eccentric story involving some eccentric people, it conveys straight to the heart how the great darkness descended upon Europe in the 1930's. It tells you that the greatest evil is the work of humans, and that the potential for evil lurks in the human soul. But, and here is the movie greatest strength, it shows you that humans possess the capacity to be human and to act human, when they heed Shakespeare's advice: "Love thyself last". All the negative comments that can be made about this or that deficiency caused me to downgrade this movie's rating from a "10" to a mere "9". Go see it. If you have kids - make sure to take them along for a great and satisfying lesson about life as it should be lived.