I started watching the movie with the presumption that I
would hate it as a 30+ year old who is much more of a feminist that my won 25
year self. It’s just that the idea – a divorced woman finding herself in a new
country – is so beaten to death over several movie (remember Eat, Pray, Love
and so many more such ones). But I finished that movie experiencing that feel-good
emotion, sorta like you feel at the end of a great day.
I loved the screenplay’s treatment of the original story.
Even though it starts with a dejected woman taking a trip to Europe to catch a
break, it explores depths of her that you don’t expect. The film shows that
fulfillment is not always realized through one’s own accomplishments rather it
is sometimes obtained by helping others accomplish their desires.
I also loved how the director shows the movie not
from a touristy perspective of Tuscany and Italy, rather from someone trying to
live there. There is not more than couple scenes with the popular spots such as
colosseums or cathedrals. The majority of the movie sticks around Tuscany
countryside. It is also different in its perspective since it doesn’t limit the
viewpoints to the many wineries of the countryside. It goes beyond that.
Diane Lane is such a great actress. She can make you fall in
love with the most plain, silent and shy characters. I wish she starts acting
in more films in the coming years; can’t remember the last time I saw her in a
contemporary film.
