Up At the Villa (2000)

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Love the Hard Way

Film.com's FREE movie of the week is "Love the Hard Way." Oscar-winner Adrien Brody and Charlotte Ayanna star in this drama about a thief who falls for a curious, beautiful young woman. As their intimacy grows, a slick cop (Pam Greer) is closing in.

CinemaSource

Studio: Universal Pictures Studio: Universal Pictures

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: May 5, 2000

Running Time: 115 mins.

Country Of Origin: United States

Country Of Origin: United Kingdom

starring: Kristin Scott Thomas, Sean Penn, Anne Bancroft, James Fox, Jeremy Davies, Sir Derek Jacobi, Massimo Ghini, Dudley Sutton, Lorenza Indovina, Roger Hammond

director: Philip Haas

Up at the Villa

Set amidst the expatriate community of Florence in 1938 -- during the rise of Fascism on the eve of World War II -- a penniless, widowed young British socialite, Mary Panton, travels to Italy to take up residence in the villa of some absent friends, only to find herself embroiled in a love triangle and political intrigue. When her much older friend Sir Edgar, a career-oriented diplomat, asks for her hand in marriage, then departs for a few days while she considers his proposal, Mary meets some provocative Anglo-Americans at a dinner party. Shortly thereafter, she develops a relationship with one of them, a dangerously appealing American man to whom she confides her dark secret.

When it comes to fascism, love conquers all.

Story

This period piece takes place amidst the gossip of aristocrats in fascist Italy, where the characters search for freedom, passion, love and self-identity. This is a straightforward tale, and much like a good play, it has plenty of witty dialogue and a well-paced story. The film opens with a bit of history, but we soon enter a world of lust, death, blackmail and escape. It's an odd love story, to be sure, but it works. The chemistry between a…