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Susan Granger's review of "TEA WITH MUSSOLINI" (G2, an MGM Company release)
Based on Franco Zeffirelli's own childhood in Florence, this comedy-drama tells the story of the five extraordinary women who care for Luca, a boy born out of wedlock, while resisting the madness of war that sweeps across Europe during the '30s and '40s. Known as the Scorpioni, for their biting wit, these feisty British and American expatriate females adore Italy and refuse to leave. Instead, they arrogantly defy the mercurial officials, trusting in the autocratic widow of the British Ambassador to Italy, Maggie Smith, who once had tea with the Fascist leader who assured her that no harm would ever come to her and her friends. As Luca's father's secretary/translator, Joan Plowright is entrusted with the boy's care as a surrogate mother. She works hard to make him "a proper English gentleman," teaching him about Shakespeare, while Judi Dench gives him an appreciation of drawing and art. The Americans are an openly lesbian archeologist, Lily Tomlin, and a wealthy, free-spirited art collector, Cher, who was a friend of Luca's late mother. As England and America enter W.W.II, the women become "enemy aliens" in their adopted homeland. Scripted by John Mortimer, their story is colorfully dramatized in lush settings and exquisitely photographed by cinematographer David Watkin (Oscar winner for "Out of Africa"). The only discordant note is Zeffirelli's overly sentimental depiction of the Italian and German soldiers. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Tea With Mussolini" is an irresistibly joyous, opulent 9, featuring insightful performances from some of the greatest actresses on the screen today. The film is a delightful treasure.
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