The first story is about a boy named Luca (played first by Charlie Lucas), who is orphaned after the death of his mother and the abandonment and marriage of his social climbing father. Luca is taken in by his father’s secretary, a British woman named Mary (Joan Plowright). As the tension grows between Italy and the Allies, Luca’s father decides the English way is not for him. He sends Luca off to Austria to be introduced to the Fascist ideology. However, when Luca returns, he has not lost his love for Mary, and he shows this despite the fact that she has become his country’s enemy.
The second story is about the ladies of the British consulate, who are respected members of the community until Italy declares war on England. Suddenly these proper ladies (of which Mary is one) are considered enemy aliens and imprisoned by the government. A dowdy member of the group is Hester (Maggie Smith), the widow of Mussolini’s former ambassador to England. She is Il Duce’s biggest fan, and even meets with him where they have tea and he assures her that no harm will come to her or her friends. Though Hester’s faith in the dictator survives far beyond everyone else’s, she eventually comes to realize her tea with him was nothing but a placation.
Then there is the story of a wealthy American woman named Elsa (Cher), a perfect example of “nouveau riche,” who is despised by Hester and many of the other proper British ladies. Elsa is flamboyant, loud, and garish, all of which spells vulgarity to Hester. But she is also good-natured and full of spirit, and she dearly loves Luca, since his deceased mother was her best friend. Like Hester, she soon finds herself the enemy, and is undone by an Italian man in whom she placed her trust. Also present is Lily Tomlin as Elsa’s sister Georgie, a brash lesbian grudgingly tolerated among the stuffy British women, and Judi Dench as Hester’s eccentric friend Arabella.
But the real star, art, is the never far below the visual bounty or plot’s direction. The architecture of Florence and San Gimignano are the story’s stunning backdrops. The real story here is how easily our world can change if we don’t stay informed about what is happening! This is a luscious story set in an amazingly beautiful country. I look forward to your comments. chastings@rockcliff.com