Under the Tuscan Sun

Frances (Diane Lane), a writer in her mid-’30s, needs some direction in her life after a messy divorce. Her best friend, Patti (Sandra Oh), decides Frances needs a break and gives her a ticket for a two-week tour of Tuscany in Italy. Whilst there, Frances falls in love with the village of Cortona and decides to buy an old villa much in need of renovation. Settling in it soon becomes apparent that renovation work in Italy is done on Italian time, but in the process she manages to build back her confidence, make new friends, and even fall for a local named Marcello (Raoul Bova).CO.UK REVIEW Though she made her first movie at the age of 13, Diane Lane has only blossomed into a true star in her 30s, and Under the Tuscan Sun marks her full flowering. After a brutal divorce, Frances (Lane) is persuaded by her friend Patti (Sandra Oh) to take a tour of Italy–where, on a whim that she hopes will rescue her from her desperate unhappiness, she buys a rundown villa and sets out to renovate it. Along the way, she gets advice from a former Fellini actress, meets a scrumptious Italian lover, and helps support Patti after her own relationship derails. The conclusion of Under the Tuscan Sun holds no surprises, but the deft turns and observations along the way are delightful. Lane carries the film effortlessly but surely, exuding both heartbreak and re-awakening passion. –Bret Fetzer See more