My House In Umbria
When you open your door to strangers, you never know who might come in.
A train, traveling gently through the rolling hills of the Italian countryside, explodes. In one carriage, there are four survivors: "The General," an elderly English gentleman, Werner, a young German, Aimee, an orphaned eight-year old girl and Emily Delahunty, an English novelist who invites them to her home to recuperate.
Thrown together by misfortune, they find themselves attempting to rework the torn fabric of their lives, while a concerned police inspector attempts to piece together the events that brought them there.
When Aimee's straightlaced American uncle arrives to take her away, it shakes an already delicate household to the core. Will the magic of Emily's house in Umbria bring happiness to all? Or will happiness prove as elusive as the answers to the questions that bind them together?
Member Reviews
A poignant, offbeat drama - Diversitility
This little gem of a film belongs to the wonderful Maggie Smith, who portrays an elderly novelist trapped in a situation that redeems her and those whom she has chosen to embrace. The film is based on a novel and has that feel.Smith's character, a romantic pulp fiction writer of several pseudonyms,is the victim of a terrorist attack in an Italian train.Having survived, she takes in fellow victims, including a bereft elderly British colonel, a traumatized girl of about ten, and a mysterious young German. At her improvised guest house, she nurses her fellow survivors back to life,confronting their demons-and her own-in the process. When the orphaned American child (Aimee)is about to be whisked away by her cold, professorial uncle, the novelist must measure and cope with her loss. How will she survive what amounts to an emotional amputation? And how will she handle the evidence that she may be harbouring the perpetrator of the crime that has transformed her life, ironically for the better?Nice scenery not enough - Clare
The film starts well with beautiful landscapes and a dramatics tragedy which sets the scene for an interesting plot, but about 30 mins. into the film the story starts to wane and the drama goes nowehere with an anticlimactic resolution. Meanwhile repetitive scenes between the stiff Chris Cooper and sloshed Maggie Smith get tedious. Too bad...I think Maggie Smith needs a stronger cast surrounding her as she outshines many of these lesser-seen actors. Worth a look for the scenery and glamorous outfits Smith dons but don't get your hopes up.lovely movie... - pigtails_in_montreal
...where the scenery is stunning and richly filmed. Maggie Smith is as always perfect. The storyline is interesting with British and American actors. For this movie think of TEA WITH MUSSOLINI without Cher and any political intrigue. I recommend it as a lovely daytime movie to watch or a quiet Sunday night where you don't want much upheavel intrigue before going to bed.
Member Reviews
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A poignant, offbeat drama - Diversitility
This little gem of a film belongs to the wonderful Maggie Smith, who portrays an elderly novelist trapped in a situation that redeems her and those whom she has chosen to embrace. The film is based on a novel and has that feel.Smith's character, a romantic ...Nice scenery not enough - Clare
The film starts well with beautiful landscapes and a dramatics tragedy which sets the scene for an interesting plot, but about 30 mins. into the film the story starts to wane and the drama goes nowehere with an anticlimactic resolution. Meanwhile repetitive ...lovely movie... - pigtails_in_montreal
...where the scenery is stunning and richly filmed. Maggie Smith is as always perfect. The storyline is interesting with British and American actors. For this movie think of TEA WITH MUSSOLINI without Cher and any political intrigue. I recommend it as a lovely ...