Vanessa Redgrave Shines in ‘Letters to Juliet,’ But Romantic Leads Bore

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Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – I want to live in the alternate universe where Vanessa Redgrave’s Claire is the lead of “Letters to Juliet” and the two vapid dorks who trail her on a journey of lost love can learn a lesson or two but never take the spotlight. Sadly, such is not the case with this Amanda Seyfried and Christopher Egan vehicle, a romantic drama entirely stolen from its young stars by a timeless actress.

Mostly due to Redgrave’s contributions and some gorgeous cinematography of the amazing countryside of Northern Italy, “Letters to Juliet” is never anywhere near as offensively stupid as recent excused for romance like “Leap Year” or “Valentine’s Day”. In many ways, it’s just as clichéd, predictable, and boring, but one of the best living actresses proves that she can take even a half-conceived character and completely bring her to life.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Letters to Juliet” in our reviews section.

Of course, screenwriters Jose Rivera and Tim Sullivan too often send grandma to bed early and the movies drifts away from her, especially in the goofy final act. Ultimately, even Redgrave’s ample contributions can’t save the overall product from coming off like something a teenage girl would scribble on a piece of paper and pin to a wall.

The gorgeous city of Verona, Italy serves as the main setting for “Letters to Juliet” as the title refers to something literal. Below the balcony that inspired William Shakespeare to write “Romeo & Juliet,” hundreds of lovelorn women scribble their hearts out on to pieces of paper and pin them to the bricks of the wall. At the end of the day, the “Secretaries of Juliet” (a group of Italian women cliches sprung to cinematic life) collect the letters and actually respond to each of them.

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Letters to Juliet” review.

Letters to Juliet
Photo credit: John P. Johnson and Summit