Endless vistas of the lush Italian countryside, some playful banter and a likable cast make Letters to Juliet worthwhile, even if you feel like you’ve seen it before. Several times before.

Gary Winik directs, from Jose Rivera and Tim Sullivan’s transparent script, and Winik does little more than follow the path laid out for him for a predictable, sappy romance, the kind that will appeal to adults headed to the multiplex for something besides Robin Hood and Iron Man 2. Every sequence in Juliet unfolds as expected, giving the film its secure, cozy, warm-blanket feel.

The premise: Sophie (Amanda Seyfried, already starring in her third film this year, after Dear John and Chloe) and Victor (the ever-jittery Gael Garcia Bernal) travel to Verona, Italy, so he can meet with various suppliers for his new restaurant. While still in town, she joins a group of women, the Secretaries of Juliet, who daily answer letters left by tourists asking advice from Romeo’s Juliet.

Sophie uncovers a 53-year-old letter from Claire, a young Englishwoman asking for guidance about her Italian boyfriend. Expecting nothing, Sophie answers the letter. Before long, the now older Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) shows up in Verona with her priggish grandson Charlie (Christopher Egan). Together, the three repeatedly and repetitively hunt throughout Tuscany for the long-lost Lorenzo (Franco Nero).

The constant detours allow the story to wander through breathtaking landscapes. In the interim, Victor meanders around Italy on his own mission, while Sophie and Charlie argue. But, since this is Romeo and Juliet territory, the audience well knows that “from forth the fatal loins of these two foes” come “a pair of star-crossed lovers.”

At this point, the question of whether Claire will find Lorenzo, or who will end up with whom, no longer remains in doubt to anyone steeped in the rigid rules of formulaic romance. Winik never works up a sweat to at least make it look like love might not blossom in both couples.

As the two dreamy-eyed young lovers, Seyfried and Egan look primed to step into Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant’s shoes, or who knows? I personally recommend this to those romantics out there. The ladies will love this one.

Resources: Wikipedia | IMDb | Yahoo! Movies

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Official Movie Poster

Singapore Date: 24th June 2010 Language: English Running Time: 105 mins Rating: PG Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance Tagline: What if you had a second chance to find true love? Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gael Garcia Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave Directed by: Gary Winick Company: Summit Entertainment Singapore Distributor: Shaw Organisation iZone Rating: 7/10 Official Website : Letters To Juliet

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Movie Trailer

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