Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
After a rough divorce, Frances, a 35-year-old professor and writer from San Francisco takes a tour of Tuscany at the urgings of her friends. On a whim she buys Bramasole, a run down villa in the Tuscan countryside and begins to piece her life together starting with the villa and finds that life sometimes has unexpected ways of giving her everything she wanted.
Under the Tuscan Sun is a warm, visually sumptuous travelogue-romance that leans heavily on the beauty of the Tuscan landscape, which the cinematography captures gorgeously — rolling hills, golden light, and crumbling villas make the visual side a genuine standout. Diane Lane is charming and grounded in the lead, elevating what is a fairly formulaic post-divorce self-discovery narrative. The plot follows a well-worn template (heartbroken woman reinvents herself abroad, finds community and love) without much subversion or surprise, keeping Novelty low. The ensemble of supporting characters is colorful but underwritten. The ending resolves in a tidy, feel-good fashion that suits the tone but offers little dramatic weight. A pleasant, comforting film that excels in atmosphere over substance.