Pour l'amour de Roseanna

I absolutely loved this film. It's an unpromising subject - a man with a dying wife - but the excellent Jean Reno gives such a compelling performance that you cannot help but be sucked into the story. It is funny, moving, wonderful, beautifully acted and superbly filmed. And best of all it is good, clean entertainnment. Director Paul Weiland is sufficiently confident in his cast, his screenplay and his abilities that the story is allowed to take centre stage. There is nothing gratuitous, nothing formulaic about it Roseanna's Grave, it is a film of the old school: honest and genuinely entertaining.

Most of us know Jean Reno for his roles in violent actionmovies but in this movie you can admire the hidden talent of the French topstar as this is a comedy... And directed by Paul Weiland who has been involved with most of the TVseries from Rowan Atkinson (Bean, Blackadder). The story is morbid and hilarious at the same time as it tells the story of some small Italian village in where the cemetary only has 3 places left. Roseanna's wish is to be buried next to her daughter who died at a young age and as she's suffering from some cardiac disease this day comes sooner than she can think of. It's Jean Reno's task as her husband to keep all the inhabitants of the village alive to guarantee Roseanne a free place. This movie makes space for some very funny situations (Jean Reno is at times superb) but this movie cant decide whether it will be a black comedy or some burlesque thing and it's that grey area that makes For Roseanna (also released as Roseanna's grave) just a nice movie, just two stars and a half...and you cant blame the actors especially not Jean Reno or Polly Walker (Roseanna's sister Cecilia)

"For Roseanna", as it was titled on cable, tells of an Italian wife (Ruehl) with a bad heart and a husband of 20 years (Reno) who's determined to see she is buried with her daughter in a cemetery with only three graves left by making sure the townsfolk of his Italian village do not die. A comedy and light drama, "Roseanna" is a sweetly sentimental film with a simple but entertaining story for patient people set in the lush rustic beauty of the Italian countryside. No blockbuster but quaintly enjoyable, "Roseanna" is a charming little film with four plots.

This movie should be filed on all video shelves next to the wonderful Il Postino and Cinema Paradiso. Though this is not actually in Italian, the style and character of these other two films is evoked. It may not be as moving as these Italian masterpieces, but I would argue that it is more amusing.

It is one of those movies that gives the spirit of a place, draws you in to it and makes the audience genuinely care about the characters. If you feel disillusioned with blockbusters or just need a bit of cheering up after a hard day, this is your movie.

Amazingly, it couldn't get a cinema release over here, and it is very little known. My advice is to try it, and soon, like me, you'll be recommending it to one and all.

The acting is superb, the story line strange and the experience a treasure. Funny, serious, surprising. The entire package is rolled up into a neat package you won't forget for a long time. I was so enchanted by HIS acting I was halfway through the movie before I realized how fine SHE was. Well worth anyone's time.