Enchanted April (1991)

This lovely, 1991 adaptation of Elizabeth Von Arnim's novel has a superb cast and a tone so mellow you can feel your pulse get slower. Josie Lawrence and Miranda Richardson play a pair of unhappily married women who rent an Italian villa for a month, sharing the rent with a crusty Englishwoman (Joan Plowright) and a lonely aristocrat (Polly Walker). Sun, rest, sinking into the green grass for long naps--they all have a soulful effect on the quartet, and then on the men in their lives who make a surprise visit. Mike Newell (Into the West) directs with seeming effortlessness, and it is impossible not to be swayed by the promise of restoration for these burdened characters--or for anyone alive. Wonderful performances all around, including a particularly sensitive one by Alfred Molina and a very funny one by Jim Broadbent. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

 Lowers blood pressure painlessly
We continue to await the DVD (in America) release of this instantly relaxing film. It quickly becomes a "comfort movie" like "White Christmas" and "Meet Me in St. Louis." Tougher than usual day? Get thee to Italy for a month(really just a couple of hours) with these beautifully painted characters.

Fine performances, cinematography and music become a tone poem of sensuality, warmth, hope, love and exquisite beauty.

Do we have to move to Sweden or Australia to own this gem on DVD; or must we buy yet another piece of machinery to decode the foreign recording? Why hasn't it become a DVD in this country? Don't we all long for some relief from our daily stresses? Couldn't we benefit from a few hours of beauty and humor? Get going, America! May 4, 2008

 A wonderful film and very worthwhile
This film really ought to be re-released. (At one time I owned three copies, each of which was purloined by the (now long forgotten) borrower.) Please ask the issuer to bring back Enchanted April on DVD. May 2, 2008

 Stories that should be told.
One the most delightful, warm, and rewarding movies we've ever seen.

Bill and Zoe April 24, 2008

 Enchanted April is an Enchanted Film
I have praised Enchanted April elsewhere and I will do this again here.
Please do not miss this most lovely and life-affirming film. Those of us
who have seen it love it so much. Enchanted April was introduced on American television by Masterpiece Theater a few years ago.
This is an under-appreciated movie as so many superb classics are. That
Enchanted April has not been released in Region One (US and Canada) DVD
format is a shame. This film is a gem.

April 17, 2008

 Love Spings Eternal
I love this movie. It's visually delicious and has a truly enchanting story with surprising twists. On a rainy March day, it was just the right thing to watch yet again. April is all about rebirth as flowers emerge and our spirits are renewed. That is exactly the theme of this movie. It is timeless and deeply satisfying. Like other reviewers, I look forward to the DVD, but if you can view the VHS tape, don't wait. Watch it now. April 5, 2008

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