I went to see this flick with a girlfriend last night. I've not got out for a while so my excitement was more for that than the movie. Sadly a lot of chick flicks have bored me the past few years to the point where I've stopped bothering and I'm surprised when one is good. This one was predictable but still delightful in every way.
Of course, I adore everything about Italy so if they had even left out the plot, and showed the footage I'd have loved it still. The aerial shots soaring over Verona are enough to get your heart thumping inside. You would think that that many dwellings packed in together, under the Italian sun, would give a feeling of claustrophobic cracker box living. Yet it doesn't, it's delightful! How do they pull that off? If the buildings were modern, symmetrical, sleek and straight, the city would not have the amazing charm that it does. The old architecture plays a character role itself in this movie. The balconys of romantic ironwork, the potted plants and flowers everywhere, the uneven stone work, the arched doorways and windows, it's all appealing to the romantic senses. It's amazing how the city plays a part to awaken the magic of love in the movie.
As if that were not enough, the other setting in the movie is the gorgeous country side. This we are more familiar with here, the rolling hills with vineyards under the sunshine. The only thing we lack here in Cali is the stone villa here and there to make it perfecto! The little roads winding through to little places unknown feed our sense of adventure and spontaneity. We North Americans are more accustom to freeways and straight roads with right angle turns leading to predictable destinations. There is no romantic mystery to our transient traditions. Even the roads in the Verona are small and winding making them mysterious and in a world where you are not in a hurry all the time to get where you are going. This makes travel much more fun! Unfortunately we here have cut the straightest most efficient path to everyplace to get us there as quickly as possible. We measure success with efficiency rather than pleasure of the experience.
The wine was more noticeable than the food in the movie! I hardly noticed what they were eating most of the time, though I 'm sure it was good but more noticed the customary glass of vino. Red, white, it didn't matter. The glasses graced the table everywhere and they spoke of sitting and delighting in conversation and food. They were never full, always about low to mid level. In our culture, many people fill their wine glasses to drink as much as they can as fast as they can. True enjoyment of wine is done in small amounts over long conversations about life and not for the purpose to forget your life entirely. It's another element of slowing down and enjoying rather than hurry up and forget. Eating slowly, drinking slowly, sitting long, letting the sun sink, eating out doors, all of these are packed with sensory delights meant to highlight life rather than smudge it out.
The letters, ah, the letters! The letters and the room where they wrote back to them highlighted a relational aspect of culture that our new generation is missing out entirely on. It really made me miss my stationary sets I had as a teen. Rick bought me a letter "A" wax seal when we were dating that is one of my treasures. He and I use to write love letters and I'd seal mine with that. What has happened to me!? I've been reduced to the occasional sweet nothing on his Facebook page! Life and sentiment, love and heart, are meant to be written with our hands! Something flows out of that that we miss in our high-tech age. The smell and look of the paper, the folding and tucking in the envelopes, the choosing of the perfect stamp, and the piling of the letters in an outgoing basket were delightful to see. It oozed with humanity and heart, and romance.
I could not help but notice the skirts and dresses in the movie as well. They were simple, and light for the weather, but they were so lovely. The women in the movie pretty much all wore skirts except for our main character who put her occasional pair of skinny jeans on. The choice of fabrics fed the femininity of the movie. The guys looked like guys and allowed them to take on their romantic rolls in our minds even better. Lorenzo's robust manly attire added EVERYTHING to his character. Vanessa Redgrave's character Claire wore the most graceful flowing fabrics that made even this elderly grandma full of feminine beauty. The secretaries of Juliet all had their own fashion statement but it was all skirts, florals, simple necklaces, vibrant colors and expressive hair styles filling out the variant feminine elements of their personalities. The clear definition and even highlighting of male and female characters intensified the romance of the film because it fed the core of what we are made to delight in.
We are a people made to fill our rolls and meant to be drawn to the opposite sex for every element God made in them down to their square shoulders hiding under their masculine Polo shirts. They speak strength, security and protection to us. Women in their feminine attire (though I'm admitting I'm a bit of a tomboy and love my jeans!) speak delicate beauty with inner strength but outer need for nurture and care but more than anything appreciation for the beauty God has given her. The costuming in the movie just really adds to the romance in these ways.
We are relational people, meant to be close to those we love and share the beauty of life with them. If we are close but stark and distant, the beauty fades and are just clusters of miserable humanity. The closeness with beauty feeds our desire for bonds to others. The unpredictable passage ways feed our sense of adventure and the tables set with food and beverage invite us to sit and share our lives. The letters invite us to pour out the secrets of our hearts and the longing for human connection. The filming speaks many unspoken truths from the Italian culture.
The story is simple, even predictable, it's true. However, this movie spoke to so many inbred human senses that it was just delightful to watch. I enjoyed the storyline between the two main characters for sure, but there was so much more character play that was not even done by actors at all. We in modern America are missing out on so much life with our fast pace and efficient methods. Who says life has to be efficient all the time!? Who says you have to eat dinner in 30 minutes or less? Who says you can't dress up just because you look darn pretty!? Who says you can't enjoy a small glass of wine with those you love over a well balanced and lovely meal!? Who says you have to eat inside all the time!? Who says you only have time to send an email or Facebook note!? Who says your home should look sleek and modern!? Who says there is no room in the budget for a Sunday drive on a country road leading to who knows where!?
We should take a lesson from these old ways and stop getting wrapped up in modern patterns of efficiency. Besides, my husband is a mailman and he'd appreciate the business of you sending a real letter now and then!:) Summer is coming ladies! Clean up your outdoor seating and use it! Pull out your light floral skirts and wear them! Pick up some lovely stationary and write a heartfelt letter. Let the dishes sit till tomorrow and sit way after dinner to talk. Bring some potted nature to your doorstep. Take a moment to notice your husbands broad shoulders and how romantically alluring they are. More than anything, slow down and notice life's beauty around you and bring it into your life in anyway you can.
