Review of Tea with Mussolini (1999) by Alison O — 04 Jan 2004

VIDEO.

Another one I didn't have high hopes for, but its entertainment value was a pleasant surprise. It's based around the experiences of a group of ex-pat British women who set up home in pre-WW2 Florence. Numbering among them are Maggie Smith, Joan Plowright and Judi Dench. There's also two American women on the fringes of the group; Lily Tomlin and Cher. Of course it perpetuates the idea of the British as tea-drinking stiff upper lippers but it's all in good fun. When her employer rejects his son Luca when he remarries, Plowright's character takes the lad under her wings and he plays an important role in the welfare of the women when war breaks out. The cinematography is awe inspiring and it's worth watching for the views of Florence alone.