Disappointment for a huge fan!

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

How is it possible to have a cast the likes of Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Lily Tomlin, Cher and Joan Plowright (who was excellent), and wind up with a movie drama that's almost laughable? I guess the buck stops at director Franco Zeffirelli. The dialog ran the gamut from mundane to cliché to idiotic. The camera close-ups were suggesting strong emotional content when there wasn't any. The music seemed completely out of place at times, with very moving dramatic classical music at times when, again, there was very little in the way of drama. And the cast? These stellar stars were the worst I've ever seen them (Joan Plowright excepted), with every utterance feeling pushed and overacted, so I can only guess they were directed that way. I felt as if I were watching a comedy, or at lest something filmed for its humor, when, in fact, the subject matter is quite serious. If you want to see it because of this story, then, by all means, have a go. But if your looking for an engrossing film, don't be fooled by the all-star cast -- give this one a miss!

I was really disappointed with this film. The only reason I watched it was because of Dame Maggie Smith (who I adore) and Cher (because I was intrigued). I felt as though the director wanted to create a mass-murder using boredom. The plot is bizarre. Consider the grandson (or whatever the hell he was - he rarely spoke) of Dame Maggie's character. They dressed him as a girl so he would be imprisoned with the old ladies in the tower. It was slightly amusing at first, but he somehow manages to continue the deceit to the point that one of the guard's wanted to date him - despite his totally unconvincing appearance as a woman. If this was a comedy, that might be funny a la 'Some Like It Hot'. But this is supposed to be a drama? The kid (and later teenager) Luca was boring and clearly included in the story to make old ladies go 'awwwww'. I always cringe when I see the period piece British snob living abroad parading around like they are god while declaring the 'natives' are backwards. Just awful. The only bright spot was, astonishingly, Cher. The artistic and highly ostentatious character she played suited her - in fact you could believe it was Cher 1940's style. Dame Judy Dench looked weird. Lily Tomlin looked as though she stepped out of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. I found myself wanting something awful to happen to these old ladies, which is mean, but I couldn't help it. I actually laughed when the 'facists' threw their tea and paintings out the window (and I secretly wished that dog had gone as well - despite being a dog lover). The locations and scenery are beautiful though.

Young boy from a broken home is 'adopted' by a group of elderly British women in pre-WWII Florence, Italy. Director Franco Zeffirelli's rather self-conscious valentine to his own childhood is slushed with poetic sentimentality, most of which feels distinctly artificial. The young lad at the heart of the piece isn't at all memorable, and the ladies unfortunately fare no better (but where else can you find Cher, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, Lily Tomlin and Maggie Smith together on-screen?). Some of the more subtle moments (such as the child waiting for someone to pick him up after school) touch on a velvety kind of youthful longing that is rather sweet, but the drippy dialogue and obvious "scene stealing" opportunities for the femme stars drain much of the sincerity from the mix. ** from ****

I wish I could give this movie a "10" but I can't. I'm not exactly sure why but to me, it's a solid "9".The characters in this movie are engrossing and distinctively human. One cannot help but fall in love with the Scorpioni and their individual quirks.Cher, as usual adds her own distinctive flair to the mix and I cannot envision any other actress playing her role. She was perfect.There are so many aspects to this movie to enjoy. So many emotions. Joy, pain, sorrow, love, hope, reconciliation, admiration, pride, selflessness...so many.It's a great movie worth watching. Enjoy.