Director Franco Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, The Champ) reveals the forces that shaped him in his autobiographical Tea With Mussolini. Born an illegitimate child in 1930’s Florence, Luca (Charlie Lucas/Baird Wallace) is abandoned to an orphanage after his mother dies. When Luca flees the orphanage, his father’s kindly British secretary, Mary (Joan Plowright), takes pity on the young boy. Mary lost her fiance to World War I and never married or had children of her own. She decides to raise Luca, enlisting the help of her circle of aging female friends, known as the ‘Scorpioni’ for their biting wit.
Among Luca’s ‘Aunties’ are snobby Hester (Maggie Smith), self-appointed grande dame of the British expatriates, and the dog-loving Arabella (Judi Dench). Elsa (Cher) is a flashy, wealthy American Follies star who sets up a trust for Luca. Rounding out the five is Georgie (Lily Tomlin), an unrepentant lesbian archeologist.
When Mussolini declares war against Britain, the ladies suddenly find themselves relocated by the Fascists to spartan barracks. They are later moved to an upscale hotel, which Hester attributes to Mussolini’s largesse (her deceased husband was an ambassador and she once had tea with Mussolini), but it turns out he’s not their benefactor.
The acting is without reproach, especially Plowright’s quiet sensibility, Smith’s smug arrogance, and Cher’s portrayal of the flamboyant American. Tomlin needed more lines, but she played the artistic lesbian with flair.
The cinematography captures the art and statuary of 1930’s Florence, and the period details and costuming are lush, especially Cher’s showy wardrobe and her flashy black-and-white Jaguar. One of the high points of the film is Cher’s throaty snippet of “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”.
Unfortunately, the plot wanders madly, focusing too much on the childhood of Luca when the audience is clamoring for more of the ladies. Also, the movie is part character study, part war epic, which means neither is mastered. Just when the audience cheers for a character, the scene shifts to the war, and when a war issue captivates, like the plight of Italy’s Jewish people, the plot shifts and the issue isn’t explored. Zeffirelli should have decided what the core message of the film was and thus tightened his focus. I kept wanting to look at my watch.
Tea With Mussolini is rated PG for thematic elements, language, brief nudity, and mild violence.
+ Kendeyl Johansen
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