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My House in Umbria | Year: 2003 Classification: Drama Directed: - Richard Loncraine A Disappointment in Umbria My friend and I were very disappointed with this DVD when we watched it last night. The whole movie was a mass of incongruities and unlikely events. The movie tale begins when a terrorist bomb blows up in a railway carriage, killing four, slightly injuring three, and leaving one physically unscathed (although suffering from a poorly acted amnesia by the child in the movie). Is it likely that a bomb intended to blow a plane out of the sky would only slightly injure three people and leave one totally untouched, while killing four, when it goes off accidentally in an enclosed railway carriage? Very unlikely. <BR>The group that goes to Maggie Smith's (Emily Delahunty's) house after their brief hospitalization seem wooden enough to be sleepwalkers. There is no chemistry between the characters. The little girl, Aimee (or Amy) has no endearing traits that would lead Maggie Smith's character to become deeply attached to her in two days. In fact, the child doesn't act at all in this movie. There are also threads that lead nowhere, people whose relationships just don't jell, and character behaviour that makes no sense. For example, one scene has Maggie Smith's character forcing an unwilling guest to listen to her story of her unfortunate past. Why would Maggie Smith's character suddenly start unburdening herself of her childhood trauma to a wooden, unfriendly, and totally unlikeable visiting American? <BR>Another example of unlikely events is the sudden presenting of the Emily Delahunty character as being a lush. This is not at all apparent at first and then is suddenly thrust upon us as she doesn't appear in any later scenes without a glass in her hand. She starts out the movie as an intelligent, sensitive, sober woman and finishes as a stumbling lush. Very strange and incongruous. And why would someone with such a huge drinking problem that she starts at 9 a.m. suddenly be suitable to look after a traumatized child?<BR>There are also ideas that are never fully explored, like the child's artwork after her accident, her sudden recovery of her speech, the relationship between Quinty and the maid, and so on. <BR>All in all, a very disappointing movie that I don't recommend unless you just like looking at beautiful Italian scenery. "The somber side of things does not appeal to me." I am a fan of writer William Trevor, so when I saw that a film was going to be made of another of his books (there's also a film of his book "Felicia's Journey"), I contained my delight and waited for the film to appear on DVD. "My House in Umbria" is the story of a late-middle-aged English woman, Mrs. Emily Delahunty (Maggie Smith) who lives in a glorious palatial home in Umbria, Italy. She's a writer of romance novels, and shares the house with a man named Quinty who seems to be both her confidante and manservant. One day she takes the train, and as she sits in the compartment, she soaks in the impressions she has of her fellow passengers. Tragically, a bomb explodes and kills most of the train compartments passengers. Mrs. Delahunty survives--along with a retired British general (Ronnie Barker), a young German man, Werner, and a pale, silent child, Aimee. As Mrs. Delahunty recuperates in hospital, she is overwhelmed by sympathy for the other victims, and so she invites them to her home until things are sorted out and the police investigation is concluded. I was really afraid that this film might be another of those awful imports that emphasize the eccentricity of the English, but the fact that the film is based on a Trevor novel, gave me hope for something a little more substantial. I was not disappointed. Maggie Smith as Mrs. Delahunty is magnificent. When Aimee's uncle, Tom Riversmith comes from America to take the child home, he dismisses Mrs. Delahunty cruelly as an old, gossipy drunk, but she's so much more than that. Mrs. Delahunty's memories of a far-from-perfect childhood serve to make her understanding, patient, and tolerant of all who stay at her home. Mr. Riversmith underestimates her, and he is the smaller person because of his judgment. This film could certainly be included in a list of the film industry's love affair with Italy ("Enchanted April", "Under the Tuscan Sun", "Where Angels Fear to Tread"), for the scenery is spectacular and quite breathtaking. If you like the film, I also heartily recommend the book by William Trevor. It's called "Two Lives", and "My House in Umbria" is one of the two novellas in the book. The book is more substantial than the film, of course,--as is usually the case,--and the story delves much more into Mrs. Delahunty's past--displacedhuman Very touching This movie is very touching. It may not be the most surprising or action packed of movies, but it can touch you if you let it. So many people, all touched by the same tragedy, having to come together, and share and learn and grow together. I think you'll enjoy it. Buy My House In Umbria at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on My House In Umbria Search with the Priority Search Engine on My House In Umbria This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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