Zeffirelli and his fellow screenwriter, the british novelist john mortimer, invented two american characters. It is maybe not the great film so many had thought it would be, but with a true story, great casting and performances, and an interesting setting and time it is highly enjoyable. From italy with love an unlikely duet between cher and the blackshirts more about tea with mussolini by jonathan romney friday 2 april 1999. Tea with mussolini is a tongue in cheek reference to an incident that is pivotal to this chapter in zeffirellis life as a young boy in florence during the war.
A phenomenal cast of accomplished actresses help make famed director franco zeffirellis semiautobiographical tale an enchanting and warm film. It suffers from a mawkish storyline and reflects zeffirellis own. Florence, italy on the brink of wwii it was a time of social unrest and, of course afternoon tea. This lush, frothy comingofage story provides its cast full of british and american grande dames with plenty of beautiful locations and. Populated with some of the best british actresses of our time, i knew it was a movie i had to see.
Tea with mussolini dvd snoisle libraries bibliocommons. A series of anthologies and omnibus editions were also released. In 1930s fascist italy, adolescent luca charlie lucas just lost his mother. It was put on the market in 1976 and uses magnetic tape 12 inch 1. Mary and her cultured friends including artist arabella judi dench, young widow elsa cher and archaeologist georgie lily tomlin keep a watchful eye over the boy. Tea with mussolini is a 1999 angloitalian semiautobiographical film directed by franco zeffirelli, scripted by john mortimer, telling the story of a young italian boys upbringing. She brings along journalist constance raynor of the morning post newspaper and mussolini accepts the invitation because he loves to see stories about himself. The scorpioni were part of a large community of brits in florence during the early decades of the twentieth century. And zeffirellis penchant for turning life into opera makes tea with mussolini more enchanted fascist april than a memoir of any clarity or depth. Tea with mussolini is a film that has been on my radar for a long time. With maggie smith, judi dench, joan plowright, cher. Rumpole of the bailey is a series of books created and written by the british writer and barrister john mortimer based on the television series rumpole of the bailey mortimer adapted his television scripts into a series of short stories and novels starting in 1978.
Little lucas mother is dead and his father cannot claim him, thanks to his vindictive, jealous wife. It is a loosely biographical story by the great director franco zeffirelli telling how, as the illegitimate son of his father, he was placed in the care of an elderly english teacher, and then sent away to germany to school, shortly before the outbreak of war. Four old guys meet every week at the same restaurant for lunch in sydney and each takes turns at telling a story. It suffers from a mawkish storyline and reflects zeffirellis own confused social outlook. Luca, who has just returned to italy after attending school in austria, helps elsa. Based in part on his autobiography, director franco zeffirellis tea with mussolini is a story about a group of british and american travelers on an indefinite visit to italy in 1935. Tea with mussolini 1999 directed by franco zeffirelli. Derek hansens lunch with series is a compelling read. A story of civilized disobedience in world war ii italy starring cher, judi dench, and an incredible cast of leading ladies. Funny thing is, we watched this movie a number of years ago, and i remembered it as rather hohum, and dh didnt remember it at all. Tea with mussolini trailer an illegitimate child is raised by an englishwoman in prewwii fascist italy, part of an english community in florence presided over by a diplomats widow. Tea with mussolini film by zeffirelli 1999 britannica.
Tea with mussolini 1999 is a angloitalian semiautobiographical film directed by franco zeffirelli, scripted by john mortimer, telling the story of a young italian. Lady hester random maggie smith, widow of the british ambassador to italy, arabella judi dench, an artist and singer, georgie lily tomlin, the exuberant american archaeologist, and the brash and uninhibited elsa cher. Luca is a boy living in florence whose family situation is precarious at best. Tea with mussolini is directed by franco zeffirelli and based on his memoirs of growing up as a young kid in florence just before and during world war ii. Tea with mussolini was directed by franco zeffirelli. Tea with mussolini, directed by franco zeffirelli, is another merchant ivory period movie, this time set in florence during the rise of fascism. Indeed, recalling the story of the blind man in at first sight who was happy as a lark because he always found helpful people, the lesson of tea with mussolini, paradise road, and life is beautiful is the samekind people can create heaven just about anywhere. Based in part on his autobiography, director franco zeffirellis tea with mussolini is a drama with comic accents about a group of british and american travelers on an indefinite visit to italy in 1935, when, as one character puts it, mussolini was just a man who made the trains run on time. Tea with mussolini by franco zeffirelli cher, judi dench, joan. But its definitely worth watching, especially if you are headed to ital. Tea with mussolini mustsee exploration of love and.
Join oscar winner cher and an incredible cast of leading ladies as they host this radiant, beautiful film, thatis worth savoring. The grandes dames on parade in franco zeffirellis sudsy, picturesque world war ii drama, tea with mussolini, include cher, judi dench. His father, a callous businessman, sends him to be taken care of by british expatriate mary wallace joan plowright. Tea with mussolini is a 1999 angloitalian semiautobiographical film directed by franco zeffirelli, scripted by john mortimer, telling the story of a young italian boys upbringing by a circle of british and american women before and during the second world war. Originally a revolutionary socialist, he forged the paramilitary fascist movement in. The character maggie smith arranges a tea meeting with mussolini himself. How accurate tea with mussolini is, i cannot say, but it is based on. Semiautobiographical film directed by franco zeffirelli, telling the story of young italian boy lucas upbringing by a circle of english and american women, before and during world war ii. In particular maggie smith as lady hester, the crusty, sharp tongued wife of the former. Im not 100% sure how this book got on my toread list. An orphaned italian boy is raised amongst a circle of british and american women living in mussolini s italy before and during world war ii. Thrust by circumstances into the bosom of a group of english expatriate women matrons of considerable poise and standing the young boy s view of the world was coloured by them. From the diary of his wife rachele will learn of mussolini s last days in rome.
Greg mortenson was accused of lying in his nonfiction book three cups of tea. One evening we watched tea with mussolini together. Its story is based on incidents from zeffirellis early life, as described in his autobiography. Unfortunately, it is not readily available on the streaming platforms i use.
Tea with mussolini ac3, widescreen, repackaged on tcm shop. It is a good story, if sometimes painful, as he tells andrew l. The group has tea together and mussolini assures the ladies they will be left alone and they have his word. Films to get you in the mood for an italian vacation. Benito mussolini was an italian political leader who became the fascist dictator of italy from 1925 to 1945. We just watched tea with mussolini last night, and cannot recommend it highly enough. Based in part on his autobiography, director franco zeffirellis tea with mussolini is a story about a group of british and american women expatriates in italy in 1935.
A diverse group of cultured ladies meet for tea each afternoon. In any case, tea with mussolini really doesnt do much of value for the rest of us. A comment on zeffirellis tea with mussolini world socialist web site. Lady hester wrongly believes it is her association with mussolini claudio spadaro that has gotten them into their comfortable surroundings, but which in reality was arranged and paid for by elsa. Taken from a chapter in the autobiography of acclaimed filmmaker franco zeffirelli, tea with mussolini is written by british novelist and playwright john mortimer and zeffirelli, drawing on the. Watch tea with mussolini online stream full movie directv. The film tells of a boy named luca, born out of wedlock to a clothing manufacturer in florence. Tea with mussolini is a pretty movie, wellacted, and somewhat interesting from a historical perspective, but it doesnt transport us into the womens lives. Quoting lines from the diary of mussolini s daughter, with anecdotes and stories being told in his private home, will help you learn about the other side of mussolini. The acting is superb, and the story, based on actual events as remembered by the director, franco zeffirelli, is spellbinding.
If a ghost writer was involved, they remained well hidden. Luca, who has just returned to italy after attending school in austria, helps elsa with her efforts to assist those persecuted in italy. Other articles where tea with mussolini is discussed. Tea with mussolini by franco zeffirelli cher, judi dench. In its purest form, tea with mussolini portrays the story of an orphaned italian boy whose life intersects with those of female british expatriates living in italy during the years of wwii. The movie centers on a group of british and american women and a young boy living in florence. How accurate tea with mussolini is, i cannot say, but it is based on the autobiography of the film director franco zeffirelli, who directed and cowrote it, so we can be sure it is true to what he remembers, or wants to remember. The book is written as a factual account of mortensens time in afghanistan.
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