Clevercell
Very disappointing...
Lovesusti
The Worst Film Ever
Catangro
After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.
Donald Seymour
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
rosy-2
This worthy PBS series is now available on DVD. I watched it back when it was on PBS and have now enjoyed watching it a second time. I remember when I first saw it, I wondered who Susan Fleetwood (Molly) was. I discovered that she was Mick Fleetwood's sister (of Fleetwood Mac fame) and sadly passed on only six years after this series was made. It is an extremely evocative mystery set in the most spectacular place. Just the scenery is enough, not to mention the fabulous house. The only thing I wish is that I understood the mystery better and what Sandra's and Buck's roles were in the water commission thing and why one of the characters was hiding out and had to die!
fowler-11
"Summer's Lease" was the first John Mortimer book that I ever read and it transported me to Tuscany then- and it does so every time that I've read it since. The film version manages to capture much of the magic of the book in a story about a slightly dysfunctional family vacationing in a somehow sinister, rental villa in Tuscany. While the family dynamics appear to be the main purpose of the plot, this is in fact, a mystery as wife Molly searches for details about the mysterious owner of the rented villa; asking questions of the quirky residents of the local `ex-pat' community and following the `della Francesca' trail in search of the art works of Peiro della Francesca, and ultimately `The Flagellation", `undoubtedly the greatest small painting in the world.' The scenery of Tuscany is enhanced by the background music (by a group called Chameleon) in a way the mere pictures could never do - an acceptable compromise for the book's descriptive prose. There are lots of laughs from the antics of the various characters, especially those of Molly's randy father, played to perfection by John Gielgud, but the underlying sense of intrigue is never lost. A very enjoyable mini series that, sadly, is not available on VHS or DVD. Well worth watching it ever appears again.
KOG_VOS
This drama was superbly cast, especially John Gielgud as Molly's philandering father. However Molly's journey of self discovery was underdeveloped as was the eventual climactic meeting with the mysterious "T. Buckland Kettering".The scenery of Tuscany is beautiful enough, but the acting does fall down in some places. For anyone wanting to appreciate Mortimer's classic, I suggest you read the book.
jhigginbottom
I'm writing on behalf of my elderly Mother In Law (86)who has lost her one and only copy of Summer's Lease.By way of background I should explain that to my ongoing regret I inadvertently taped over her VHS copy - unfortunately - it was not `record' protected.I have explored a number of obvious avenues but have not been able to track down a copy. Apparently, it is not available on video and as far as I know it has not been repeated on free to air TV in Australia since it was first shown. The ABC originally ran it about 10 years ago which was when my MIL taped her personal copy.In order to restore my credentials with my MIL (and family harmony!) I am desperately looking to beg, borrow or buy a copy.I would be grateful if anyone knows where I can obtain a copy - preferably in VHS PAL.
