Truly Dreadful Film

An action-packed slog

Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

I like The Counterfeit Contessa only for the last 25 minutes when the real Contessa made her entry. The rest of the movie is an unrealistic and boring effort. Granted that the title character wanted something so badly she was willing to live a lie to get it...or is that really the only way to get to her man? What are the motives of the other characters who aided her in her quest? Contessa Sofia di Sarzanello and Anthony Nordino gave life to this nice movie. Without them the movie is a crescendo of unrealistic acting culminating in the unconvincing cry scene by Gina Nordino at the end. In spite of this major weakness the movie is worth watching if only for the part played by the real Contessa.

Cute movie, and great fun for a rainy afternoon! This story line has been seen in several other movies (While You Were Sleeping comes instantly to mind) (with variations, of course) but it holds-up rather well. Tea Leoni is a very beautiful young woman, and even more so when posing as a wealthy Italian Contessa. She has an earnestness about her and her desire to live a life based on 'romance movies' that is endearing -- it's too bad that her ultimate love interest is a bit wooden. He's supposed to be the male rebel of the aristocratic family, but I kept seeing Bill Pullman from "Sleeping" instead as he was much better! At any rate, when it was over, the one thing I truly wanted to see more than anything was for Leoni's character and the real Contessa (who had been detained by Leoni's brother in order for the entire final scene(s) to be pulled off) to face each other!! There was potential for that, and I wish it had been in the movie!!

I've loved this since I first saw it overseas, subtitled in Spanish!! Very funny without having to think to hard, but if you connect the dots and pay attention, there is a payoff...either off the cuff comments having some deeper meaning to the theme, or criss crossing comments that you have to catch the irony of, and you'll miss if you don't pay attention.I've watched this many times through, and still love finding new comedic nuances they throw in...though some are very broad and you don't have to "look" at all--they practically slap you upside the head!! Tea Leoni is her funny,sometimes smart, sometimes awkward,and always very winsome self. Holland Taylor (who plays the mother on two and a half men) is brilliantly typecast as the snobby mother of the snobby son on whom Ginny has the crush AND of the down-to-earth son played by D.W. Moffet, who is charming beyond words as the one who catches on to Ginny's charade. He really makes the zingers zing...The chemistry he has with Tea is undeniable. Between the two of them, you really get pulled in to the fun that never gets sappy.Sure wish I could buy it!!

While it is not a great movie, it is a very pleasant one: its best trump is vivacious Téa Leoni, utterly charming as the counterfeit contessa. D.W. Moffett is quite convincing as her relaxed suitor, and David Beecroft and Susan Walters aptly unpleasant. I had seen 'THE COUNTERFEIT CONTESSA ' several years ago, with much pleasure; it was again shown on French TV a few days ago, and I found it up to my memories. Most viewers ought to enjoy it, if they like charming.. and relaxing modern fairy tales.