In 1938, Mary Panton is a broken young British widow living in Florence. Sir Edgar Swift (James Fox), a prominent Englishman indicated to be governor in India, proposes her to get married with him. The proximity with World War II makes persons living in this city tense, and Sir Edgar lends a gun to Mary, for her safety, while is traveling on business. Mary's best friend in Florence is the Italian Princess San Ferdinando (Anne Bancroft), a woman who loves gossips. One day, Mary goes with their friends to a restaurant, where she meets Rowley Flint (Sean Penn), a man with bad reputation, and she gets upset with him. On her way back home, she almost kills Karl Richter (Jeremy Davies), the violinist of restaurant where she was. The she realizes that he is indeed an Austrian refugee leaving Florence on the next day and a very sensible man. She has an affair him. But Karl falls in love with her and decides not to leave Florence anymore. Mary explains him that she just wanted one night stand with him and Karl, feeling rejected, commits suicide with Sir Edgar's gun. From now on, Mary Panton has to lie, betray and blackmail, trying to survive to the situation raised by this murder. This romance is a good movie. Anne Bancroft has an outstanding performance, and Sean Penn, Kristin Scott Thomas, James Fox and Jeremy Davies has a great acting, as usual. The story is amoral, having ingredients of romance and suspense. The greatest problem, in my point of view, is the lack of chemistry between the characters of Kristin Scott Thomas and Sean Penn. Somehow they do not fit each other, but maybe this is the intention of the novel. I have not read the book. However, it is a good entertainment. My vote is seven.
Review of Up at the Villa
