(My bags are packed - let‘s go…)
CAST: Josie Lawrence, Miranda Richardson, Polly Walker, Joan Plowright, Alfred Molina, Jim Broadbent, Michael Kitchen.
DIRECTOR: Mike Newell
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and lovely girls-gone-Italian adventures straight ahead.
When I tell folks that I moved to the Northwest from Italy, I often get silent responses. Followed by either “Oh” or “I see…” Or, if the person is not from the polite and circumspect Northwest region, they say “WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING, TRADING IN THE SUNSHINE OF ITALY FOR ALL THIS GODDAMNED RAIN!!!!????? WHAT!!!??!??!!”
Well, for starters, the hiking and the outdoors are great - when it’s not raining. But, yeah, compared to Italy, it kind of blows. The contrast between the rain-drenched Northwest and sunny Italy figures prominently in our latest review, the lovely ENCHANTED APRIL. Remember that movie from the 60’s that was remade in the 80’s called WHERE THE BOYS ARE? Wherein four co-eds jump in a car and head on down to sunny Florida to, well, cavort with boys under the sun?
Well, ENCHANTED APRIL is basically a British version of that. But set in the 1920s. With folks who are older and much, much, much, much, much paler. And, well, much grumpier. Not for long, though. Because if there’s anything you can count on in this world, it’s that the Italian sun is like vodka when it comes to mellowing people out.
Our story kicks off on a dreary, rainswept London day. We meet one of our soon to be Italy-bound ladies. She is Lottie Wilkins (Josie Lawrence), a dithering Nervous Nellie who chances to glimpse an ad for a villa in Portofino. Apparently, the owner is looking to rent the place out for the whole month of April. Which is why our movie isn’t called ENCHANTED NOVEMBER. Anyhow, it’s not long before Lottie has convinced fellow repressed neighbor Rose Arbuthnot (Miranda Richardson) to join her in the Great Italian Sausage Hunt she has planned. Okay, maybe the Sausage Hunt is my own wish. Maybe they just want some sun...
Turns out both Lottie and Rose have a good reason to want to get away - they’re married to a couple of snoozers. The dude that Lottie won in the Boring Husband Lottery is Mellersh (Alfred Molina), a milquetoast of the highest order, and Rose’s not-quite-prize is Frederick (Jim Broadbent), a sort-of Harold Robbins novelist of his time. Combine the relentless onslaught of the London rain, and having to shack up with such stellar examples of the male species, and you can see the dire need for our sweet ladies to get the fuck out of Merry Old England - fast.
Lottie and Rose eventually seek out the person who placed the ad. He is George Briggs (Michael Kitchen), and he strikes sparks with Rose when they meet. Rose, however, is the very picture of the prim and proper married English Rose and wouldn’t dream of cheating on Frederick, no matter how much it would be forgiven and understood by the rest of the world. She’s a better woman than me. Well, you know what I mean…
Anyhow, Lottie and Rose soon realize that they will need to recruit two more vacationers if they are to afford the rent and upkeep of the villa. They place an ad of their own, and soon we have two more Italia-dreamin’ folks onboard for the ride. They are: (1) Mrs. Fisher (Joan Plowright), an old maid who is a colossal pill; and (2) Lady Caroline Dester (Polly Walker), a young socialite who is like the Paris Hilton of her day. Only brunette. And, well, not as wild.
Before long, our four lovely ladies depart the bleak environs of London - and are racing for the shores of Portofino like James Franco is scheduled to perform a striptease on the beach. Turns out the villa is even lovelier than they expected. It’s so pretty that I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to live there all year round. Seriously, what kind of an idiot would leave a paradise like Italy for a place where it rains nine months out of the year? Ahem.
Will our lovely ladies ever want to go back to soggy ol’ Britain? Or will some of them actually miss it? Will these four different women get along and become friends? Or are they going to mix it up in major catfight? What happens when Frederick, Mellersh, and George all show up at the same time to check in on them? Are we going to get some Musical Couples and drama, finally?
Put it this way. If they’re speding a month in Italy, they better make that shit count.
BUT, SERIOUSLY: Anyone who’s ever been on a rejuvenating vacation will appreciate ENCHANTED APRIL. The fate of the World does not hang in the balance in this film. There are no alien invasions, no serial killers, no car chases, and no explosions. It’s just a quiet film about how a place has the power to soothe, calm, and renew not only people, but also their relationships. And if there’s ever a place on Earth that has the capacity to do that, it’s Italy.
I’ve always thought of Italy as the Zen capital of Europe, figuratively speaking. That is, the Italians know how to live life to the fullest by focusing on the essentials. In our review for BIG NIGHT (review # 104), we discussed how Italians have perfected the art of simplicity - which is a cornerstone of the Zen and Buddhist philosophy popular on the other side of the world in Asia. Yes, they may appear rambunctious, energetic, and passionate, but the people of Italy temper this fire with a certain pragmatic outlook which allows them to coast through life with a placid smile.
It’s this mellow Italian quality that works its magic on the harried group of Londoners from ENCHANTED APRIL. Under the glow of the Genovese sun, our four heroines not only forge new friendships, but also strengthen existing ones. Director Mike Newell, true to the languid Italian atmosphere, lets the story unfold on its own time. Those with short attention spans may be challenged. That’s your loss. Others who don’t mind stories that move deliberately and methodically will savor ENCHANTED APRIL’s unhurried pace.
A major reason our attention never flags - aside from all that lovely Italian scenery - is the wonderful cast of veteran British performers, especially the four central heroines and the actresses playing them. Josie Lawrence begins Lottie as a sort of flighty housewife, then gradually reveals the solidity beneath the deceptively anxious surface. Miranda Richardson is very good as the uptight-but-never-unkind Rose. The tentative attraction she has with George is one of the film’s highlights.
As for the other two heroines, Polly Walker brings a cool, cat-like demeanor to Caroline. What is surprising is how Walker refrains from playing her as a snooty bitch, which a lesser actress could have easily done. Instead, we get a poised character who is aware of her shortcomings and struggles to surmount them. Then there’s Joan Plowright, who makes Mrs. Fisher’s transformation from judgemental old maid to accepting old soul, a rewarding one to watch. Her scene at the end where she and Lottie cement their new friendship is probably ENCHANTED APRIL’s best scene.
As for the male cast, they're just as strong as the women. Michael Kitchens, Jim Broadbent, and Alfred Molina all play somewhat bewildered men who are still distinct from one another. Michael Kitchens is the standout. Watch for the scene when he discovers that Rose is actually married. It's heartbreaking and funny, at the same time. And it works because of Kitchens' talent.
In the end, ENCHANTED APRIL is a love letter to Italy, friendships of all shapes and sizes, and the power of just kicking back - and letting things fall where they may.
