Tea With Mussolini
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Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9786305600978
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 630560097X
Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: MGM (Video & DVD)
Region Code: 1
Release Date: November 23, 1999
Running Time: 117 minutes
Sales Rank: 8884
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Theatrical Release Date: May 14, 1999
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Editorial Review:
Description:
Florence, Italy, on the brink of WWII: it was a time of social unrest and, of course...afternoon tea. Join OscarÂ(r) winner* Cher and an incredible cast of leading ladies as they host this 'radiant, beautiful film' (Gene Shalit, 'Today Show') that is 'worth savoring' (Mademoiselle).Prewar Florence is the place to be for any proper British woman who relishes culture and the arts. These ladies have everything they could ever want or needincluding a promise from dictator Mussolini himself that not even the imminent world war will impose upon their lifestyle. But when itappears that his word is not kept, and these expatriateswho chose to stay in Italy instead of seeking refuge in their own countryare in trouble, it takes a young outcast boy and a brazen American woman (Cher) to keep them in the high life and out of harm's way.
Amazon.com:
In filming this semi-autobiographical account of life in Italy during the dawn of World War II, director Franco Zeffirelli imbues Tea with Mussolini with the mixed blessings of fond reminiscence. It's a warmly inviting film, as impeccable as any Merchant-Ivory production, but like a hazy memory it's uncertain in its narrative intentions. And yet with an exceptional cast to compensate, the film's as engaging as it is inconsequential.
Zeffirelli's alter ego is Luca (Charlie Lucas in youth; Baird Wallace as a teenager), who is raised in Florence by Mary (Joan Plowright), the middle-aged secretary of his absentee father. Luca lives among a loose band of British and American women, nicknamed 'Il Scorpioni' for their stinging wit in the shadows of Mussolini's thuggish dictatorship. Along with Mary there's Hester (Maggie Smith), a crusty ambassador's widow; Arabella (Judi Dench), a lively bohemian; lesbian archaeologist Georgie (Lily Tomlin); and Elsa (Cher), a flamboyant American who quietly finances Luca's education.
Il Scorpioni witness the rise of fascism and the dangers of resistance, weathering dictatorial custody and (in Elsa's case) falling prey to heartbreaking betrayal. But Tea with Mussolini carries little dramatic weight; you have to forgive its unfocused structure to appreciate its merits. Zeffirelli gently conveys the passage from pleasantry to wartime, and he's drawn uniformly fine performances from this seasoned cast. If the film is vaguely unsatisfying, it's only because it had the makings of greatness and settles instead for an ethereal quality of anecdotal enchantment. --Jeff Shannon
Average Rating: 
Rating:
- Tea with Mussolini is just plain awfulTea with Mussolini is just plain awful. What a waste of talent with
a deplorable script that ... Read More
Rating:
- -----Well done and interesting film-----Tea with Mussolini is loosely based on a biography of film maker Franco Zeffrelli. It's the story of ... Read More
Rating:
- Well Worth the WatchingI'm a sucker for this type of movie. The acting was superb; the scenery very interesting; the colors ... Read More
Rating:
- The most beautiful bad movie you'll seeZeffirelli's artistic eye is evident here; there are tableaux strewn about the movie that are wonderful ... Read More
Rating:
- A beautiful place going through ugly times"Tea With Mussolini" on the surface is a women's film. The lead characters are a group of elderly English ... Read More
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