Die Villa

The only reason to see UP AT THE VILLA is the performances by a wonderful cast. Kristen Scott Thomas does a good job as a poor widow who is being courted by many different men. The most interesting is the amazing Sean Penn- yet again taking on an interesting role. The story is bland and sometimes painfully boring, but Thomas and Penn make this worth seeing.

This was a little surprise recent movie for me..... Considering, I've been watching so many newly released junk, cranking from Hollywood these days....... I mean, to the point, where I was just simply hopeless, wondering, if Hollywood was ever gonna make anymore decent, quality films, ''which made sense''...... I found ''Up At The Villa'' a consistent film, which held on to my attention..... Kristin Scott Thomas plays her role very well.... Her character was believable thru out, and her acting, natural...... Although, I kinda found this film, pretentious at times, involving upper class europeans etc...... Very typical, or maybe just the way, the movie is presented..... Sometimes, the film is too talky, especially, w/ scenes between Kristin & Sean Penn...... Sean Penn, is probably the entire film's, most miscast actor...... He seems so detached from the movie, like he dropped in from somewhere else...... He doesn't have much chemistry w/ Kristin, and their relationship, isn't believable..... It's not even about Sean's physical appearance, but the way her carries himself, and his gestures, when he talks, sounding like he's some rebellious hitman, or druglord, or ganster...... whatever..... As much as he tried to belong, I think, this is not the type of film suitable for him..... I don't even know, why he accepted it, to begin w/....... As such a reputable decent actor, playing an unconvincing role like this, just downgrade's his status......

I was stunned by Kristin Scott Thomas when I first saw her in The Tenth Man (co-starring with Derek Jacobi in that movie too) many years ago. I've tried to catch as many movies with her as possible since then, but she's just never been as good, not even in The English Patient. Much of her material has been extremely dull, incl. Random Hearts and yes, this one, Up At the Villa. The premise of this movie isn't bad, but for some reason it fails to create that engrossing magic that makes all the difference. Kristin's character is too timid and irrational (except for in the end). Jeremy Davies as the poor refugee is not exactly bad, but there's still something totally wrong with his role.

Bancroft is flawless, but can't save the movie. Sean Penn is actually good. I don't like most of his roles in other movies - never have -, but he played a different, more complex and realistic yet rogue-ish character here than the hysterical ones he usually embraces (for God knows what reason), and I thought this actually worked. Still, his and Kristin's characters were just too different to make their romantic tension really believable.

I will give the movie credit for its entire political dimension, though, which wasn't in the original book that this movie is based on. It's rare to see this; in most cases it's the film that leaves out the book's political content.

I rate this movie a 5 out of 10.

I thought I was going to really enjoy this movie. Sean Penn is one of the finest actors in Hollywood today. He was absolutely brilliant in Dead Man Walking and Carlito's Way, to name just two. Kristen Scott Thomas is always very good. This movie also has an excellent supporting cast (Jacobi's 'I Claudius' still rates as the best performance I've ever seen on PBS). And I have enjoyed almost every movie I've seen dealing with pre-WWII fascist Italy.

But not this one.

To my surprise, this movie seemed to meander from scene to scene. The acting was uninspired and and the emotions did not seem genuine. I was never absorbed into the film and was constantly aware that Penn and Thomas were acting. And Penn seemed completely flat. At times, his low and garbled voice was a bit hard to understand, but I didn't rewind the video to hear what I missed as I just wanted to get on to a more interesting part... which never came. Perhaps this role was beyond Penn. Perhaps he just mailed it in. In any case, I was quite disappointed with this movie.

My summary above, just about sums my opinion up. This is based on a W.Somerset Maugham novella, If so the writers sure did not make it seem like any Maugham story I ever read. The first 3/4 hours are Ok & seem like a Maugham story then it goes downhill fast into melodrama, with all the required overacting dramatics that this well known cast can muster. Kristin Scott Thomas is the lead,(cross between Bette Davis & Gene Tierney) Sean Penn is a charming gigolo type & very subdued & with a very strange accent,(at least it is understandable. Jeremy Davies is a young refugee who sets off all the ensuing drama, with a bad accent. Anne Bancroft overacts as usual as the countess who knows all the secrets. James Fox is a usual a pompous --- cant he play anything else.

If you like beautiful scenery & sets, see this otherwise, give it a pass, My rating is **1/2

as always

jay harris