Enchanted April [DVD]

If you like well written and acted period drama this should be just the thing for you. Lottie and Rose are two reasonably well off middle class Englishwomen, trapped in loveless marriages, who decide to escape the miserable London winter and their humdrum everyday lives for a month by renting a castle in sunny Italy. To help pay expenses, they invite two more Englishwomen to share the castle. Socially awkward Lottie is set on being happy and seeing the best in everybody while making everybody around her happy as well. Deeply religious Rose has a rather less positive outlook on life, and the dazzlingly beautiful socialite Caroline Dester and the snobbish late Victorian Mrs Fisher seem rather less than perfect housemates for them. The arrival of Lottie's and Rose's husbands and of the owner of the castle, the shy Mr Briggs, initially makes for a few awkward moments, but under the influence of the beautiful surroundings, everything in the lives and relationships among the group falls into place.The cast is fabulous with Josie Lawrence and Miranda Richardson as Lottie and Rose. Polly Walker is drop dead gorgeous as the glamorous Caroline Dester and Joan Plowright is having tremendous fun with the part of Mrs Fisher. And while it's this ensemble of women the film centers around, the men in their lives are brought beautifully to live by Alfred Molina as Lottie's pompous solicitor husband and a scene stealing Jim Broadbent as Rose's philandering novelist husband, author of racy books albeit under an assumed name. Also worth mentioning is Michael Kitchen who plays the insecure Mr Briggs. The Italian filming location is gorgeous, and the fact that the castle in the film is the very place where Elizabeth von Arnim wrote and set the source novel, adds further poignancy.A few words about the DVD reviewed  Enchanted April [DVD ]. The aspect ratio is 4:3, which may be disappointing for some viewers. However, the film was originally made for TV back in the early 1990s, likely with this format in mind. A nice bonus feature on this particular DVD edition is the feature length commentary with director Mike Newell and producer Ann Scott.

Dont all women dream of escaping to an Italian Villa for sunshine and 'recovery' from stress ? I have watched this film many times for that reason, especially when it was raining, and our autistic son was at his worst, and we were trapped inside with him. Now I watch it to take me away from the sadness of losing my husband to cancer. There's a lot of psychology in this film too, about relationships and laughter. I dont know how I would cope without films like this, they soften the hard edges of life, and keep you going when everything seems so miserable !

I can only agree with the many positive reviews for this life affirming film with its downbeat sepia beginning and joyous sparkling sunny optimistic ending.It is set just after the first world war and follows the slightly naive ambitions of two unhappily married young women, who after some soul searching take a sparkling, rustic, fragrant flower filled villa on the sunny Italian coast with two other unknown ladies, and slowly its mediterranean magic begins to work on their souls. What unfolds is a subtle and elegant story of four diverse women, who become close friends.It’s a simple tale which is all the more intelligent for its restrained and understated poise. Thankfully it is a film that does not have to rely on sex, nudity, sensation, magic, profanities, violence and special effects to impress.The location and photography are stunning and the cast outstanding. Josie Lawrence is a delight as the incurable optimist whose emerging love for life gradually infects all the others, while Polly Walker is perfectly cast as the beautiful languid and world weary reflective aristocrat.The story unfolds with our group of four women who for different reasons feel hopeless to their life circumstances. As things progress we see how they are all transformed during their stay in Italy, and the foundation for new found and continued happiness is laid; by the end of the film you are left feeling that the characters lives have positively changed for good.If I had to be nitpicking here, it would have been nice to see further character development and more use made of the beautiful location. But it's still a gentle, sentimental, polished and very enjoyable, if emotionally undemanding film, which I find sometimes you need. It has a very good cast who all give solid accomplished performances. I enjoyed it.

A moving and unforgettably enchanting film. All the characters are perfectly realised by a superlativeteam of actors: it is impossible to imagine a cast better chosen. It would be invidious to single outone player for especial praise as all are compelling; even so, I must mention the great Miranda Richardson as the meek, self effacing Rose - quite outside her usual range of parts, exceptionally wideand varied though that is.To add to the manifold delights of this magical film, it is shot against a ravishingly beautiful Italianbackground.

A charming adaptation of the popular novel with an excellent cast, a solid script, good direction & camerawork and a first rate music score. Unfortunately the video transfer is not very good and the image is soft and the sound slightly muffled. It was also shot on an old fashioned aspect ratio that further detracts from the viewing experience. It would benefit from a restoration and a new transfer, as the film is a delight and should appeal to future audiences as much as it did on its television release. A romantic escapist tale of great charm.