Tea With Mussolini (1999)

Slice of Zeffirelli autobiography

By Marnie  Nov 15, 1999

Among the motley group of English and American expatriates living in Florence at the onset of WWII are Mary Wallace (Joan Plowright), a secretary; Lady Hester (Maggie Smith),widow of the Ambassador to Italy; Elsa (Cher) a flamboyant American, collec...tor of art and elderly rich husbands; Arabella (Judi Dench) a former famous actress; and Georgie (Lily Tomlin), excavator of local historic artifacts. Their social group are collectively called by the Italians "The Sciorpini" because of their penchant for stinging wit.Mary suddenly and reluctantly inherits her employer’s son Luca (Charles Lucas/Baird Wallace) when his father refuses to care for the child. Through the ensuing years, she provides Luca with education in poetry, Shakespeare, sculpture, art and English manners with the help of her friends in the Sciorpini. As WWII takes form, Lady Hester takes tea with Mussolini, who assures her that his intentions are honorable and that she and her friends will not be harmed. When Mussolini declares war on England and France, the women are ordered to be sequestered in the military compound of San Gimignano where they remain, under vehement protest, until they are liberated by the Allies.The excellently crafted, tightly-woven screenplay by John Mortimer and Franco Zeffirelli is based on Zeffirelli’s autobiography. For war scenes to delineate the era the merest suggestion of battle is given, with a few loud canon booms and additional exposition taken from movie reel footage of the era. Beautiful, focused portrayals by the cast, especially Cher.THE FRONT ROW REVIEWER Read more Less