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There’s a scene near the beginning of the dire romcom Letters to Juliet when Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) a young, slim blonde walks through the construction site of her fiancé’s New York restaurant. The fact that not a single builder turns his head or wolf whistles alerts you to the fact that social realism is not going to be a priority with this movie.
The movie’s pitch is as follows: “In Verona, Italy – the beautiful city where Romeo first met Juliet – there is a place where the heartbroken leave notes asking Juliet for her help. It’s there that aspiring writer Sophie finds a 50-year-old letter that will change her life forever. She sets off on a romantic journey of the heart with the letter’s author, Claire, now a grandmother, and her handsome grandson……..”
A warning to viewers – make sure keep a handkerchief sick bag nearby.
All this talk of romance and mushy ‘follow the heart’ idealism means that this is a love story with any sexual connotations carefully airbrushed out. Sophie’s boyfriend Victor is more likely to get a hard-on over the prospect of smelling fresh truffles than on sharing his bed with her. He is the antithesis of a randy Latin Lover and a peck on the cheek and a respectful embrace are the only clues that they have shared bodily fluids. Continue reading
