Summer's Lease

I can only reiterate the plea of a previous reviewer: This wonderful little mini-series, faithfully rendering one of John Mortimer's quirkier novels, ought to be available on video! It has atmosphere, landscapes, art, history, politics, intrigue, character development, a sympathetic protagonist, comedy, pathos, tragedy... what more could you want? It's a regular little Tuscan antipasto of a mystery story! Well-filmed, well-acted, delightful. The only caveat is that the viewer needs to devote careful attention to the plot development, or you may miss it altogether.

Intriguing story about an English family who rent a villa in Tuscany for the summer. Strange things are afoot and the mother/housewife of the family plays amateur sleuth. But it's done in such a very subtle manner--in the typical English manner. There is also a very stated undertone of marital unease that the wife and husband play to perfection. John Gielgud is TERRIFIC as the wife's father--he plays a socialist writer singularly preoccupied with shocking his family by his carefree attitude of love and sexuality--all this despite his advancing years.

Scenes from this series have remained with me years after seeing it. On the surface, it's a fairly slow-paced detective story, as the wife of a family summering in Tuscany uncovers a series of disturbing facts about a death that occurred before her arrival. The mystery is well handled, but what is really wonderful is the evocation of the atmosphere of the Italian countryside and its picturesque hill towns. It's also memorable for its over-the-top portraits of the seedy English aristocrats who live or are visiting in the region, especially Sir John Gielgud's portrayal of an unscrupulous octogenarian would-be Lothario. You'll feel you've visited Italy after seeing this, and the memories will be as vivid as those of places you've actually visited. I don't know why this series hasn't been rerun more often.

My only wish here is that more people would get to see this wonderful BBC mini-series set in the hillsides of tuscany. Unfortunately, it has not been released for distribution and there is some doubt whether a tape will ever be made available. An English housewife leases a country home in Italy for the summer. The family experiences the beauty of northern Italy and Molly (the mother) also becomes involved in a mystery to unravel. The countryside, including old church frescoes by Giotto takes center stage much of the time, but Sir John Gielgud's character blazes up the screen as the protagonist's eccentric (and randy) father-in-law. His hijinks with an old flame who has happened to settle into the region provide some of the best barrel laughs I can recall from any film. There is also the story of a dull marriage going through a renewal of sorts, as the husband starts to see more deeply into his wife's nature. All the characters are colorful and exquisitely drawn. If it should come up for a pbs replay, don't miss it!

My husband and I were mesmerized when we saw the BBC mini-series and kept checking to see if there was a VHS version, but alas. We are now the very proud and happy owners of a DVD version made available thru Acorn Productions. I ordered our copy thru contact@hardtofindrecordings.com Each time we watch the 4 part series, we pick up more clues. Excellent work by Mr. Mortimer and all of the actors. Unfortunately, the DVD does not give credit to all of the actors. There were bios for some actors, but not all, including Michael Pennington and others who played key roles. But on behalf of the audience -- to all of them -- BRAVO!!!!