AS you can imagine, this film is a satire or lampoon of the attitudes and mores of the 1930s which is when this story takes place. But don't worry, it's not a stuffy old boring period piece--far from it! This is an immensely enjoyable and accessible film that will really delight you. Very easy to follow and enjoy, very amusing and funny.

David Rehak
author of "Love and Madness"

A Rare Gem (Rating: 4.00)
Review : This is the kind of movie that American studios loathe to make. It has too much charm. It was made on a shoestring budget and the major American studios seem to salivate at only the big budget type films. It's a story about women. It's a love story with no sex. It's a remarkable movie, deftly directed by Mike Newell, with no major stars, yet it shines.

Each of the actors, from Alfred Molina to Joan Plowright to the little known but charming Josie Lawrence, give fine performances. Based on the Elizabeth von Arnim novel, two repressed English women seek adventure and find it when they vacation in an Italian villa. The villa seems to change everyone's mood and outlook in life. It's similar in theme to "A Room With A View".

Shot on what had to be a shoestring production, the story, the actors and the camerawork more than make up for any limitations of budget. The film tops off with a satisfying ending that will leave you in a mood quite the opposite of what most films do today. When was the last time that happened?

I LIKE ACTION MOVIES!!! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I'm a guy. I love action. My DVD Collection is filled with mostly Matrix, Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Lord of the Rings type movies. I crave violence, guns, fast cars, hot chicks, and super expensive Special Effects!

So why am I reviewing this movie that has absolutely nothing to do with any of the above? Because I also looooove a good vacation!! And even though this movie is about two women who take a holiday in Italy, that's not what I was referring to. ACTUALLY WATCHING this little movie is literally like taking a mini-vacation!!

I've seen this movie in theatres and had it on VHS at one time (recorded from cable) and I came on here hoping to find it available on DVD. Sadly, tragically it's not, but hopefully it will be soon. I read some of the reviews of this and I must say every single one (positive one anyways) is spot on. If you're wondering whether or not to get this, I'd say trust what you read here and take a chance. You won't be sorry. In this review I wont give any spoilers or much plot details. Because this movie is so much more than a mere plot...

Whether it's a cold rainy day, or too much is going on in life, or you've watched one too many action movies lately, or for ANY reason at all, grab a bowl of popcorn, a pillow and your favorite blankey, have a seat and pop this movie in. And then prepare to be healed! ;)

The experience of watching this movie is like this: It starts of gray and dreary, kinda like how things in your life may be going. The plot is wonderfully simple and very easy to follow, while engaging enough to immediately cause you to be concerned and interested about the main characters. Basically two "friends" are sick of how things are going and want to get away. Then after a while you are whisked away to this scenic, majestic world of peaceful serenity and mysterious beauty, and to this ancient Italian chateau, which actually becomes one of the stars in the movie. Once you're there, you are comforted, catered to, entertained, intrigued, and overally refreshed! The movie's slower than snail pace in this colorful otherworld, while retaining it's magical engagement suddenly casts a spell on you before you even know it, and you find yourself absorbed, relaxed, and essentially ON VACATION! As the movie winds up and things get resolved, the rest of the cast of characters comes in and things get a little rompous. But it never breaks its hold on you and you really get a kick out of some of the resulting scenes! And at the end what seals the whole experience before returning you back to your life is a small bit of the only special effects in the movie concerning a certain "tree". The last bit of magic in a fully magical movie. As you return to life you feel as though your soul has taken a holiday and you feel supremely good!

Now for me, that's about the time to pop in another 007 DVD!!

This movie, as you can see, is a rare treat and has an even rarer enchantment within it. There is simply no other movie like it and you owe yourself at least a viewing! You will be enchanted... Enjoy!

The most unusual (Rating: 5.00)
Review : While some may say this is a "chick flick" I couldn't disagree more. The form, casting, story, and, well, everything is just so unusual. The cast is superb with Polly Walker and Joan Plowright coming out on top. And the photography and settings are the best. But what I liked most about it was the lack of a formulaic approach. The movie starts out with dissonances and then does nothing but resolve itself slowly so that by the time you're at the end, you feel like YOU'VE been on vacation. This isn't a movie; it's a work of art.

For Rent: Peace of Mind (Rating: 5.00)
Review : This is a great movie, it is more of a "Chick Flick" so to speak, but if you are in the mood for a chick flick that you don't really need kleenex for, this is the one. An unhappily married woman is running her errands on a blustery rainy day when on the back of someones news paper she sees an add for a castle in Italy for rent for the month of April. She tells her friend about it, they pool their money, find 2 other women to go in on the expenses with them, and life unfolds before their very eyes. They make realizations about themselves, their lives, and the men in their lives. At some point in everyones life, they need to find this kind of an add... It is heart warming, life affirming, and just a really great movie.

A wonderful heartwarming movie. (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Enchanted April is a wonderful movie about four woman who rent an Italian castle to get away from their dull lives. Josie Lawrence plays Lottie Wilkins, who meets Rose Arbuthnot (Miranda Richardson). She insists they stay in the castle and finally Rose agrees. To cut down on expenses, they advertise for two more people to come and stay with them. Mrs Fisher(Joan Plowright) and Lady Caroline Dester (Polly Walker) are the only two who respond, not leaving them with much choice. After being there a while, Lottie and Rose decide to invite their husbands to stay and the owner of the castle, Mr Briggs visits to see them. In time, they all become very good friends.

To sum it up, Enchanted April is a wonderful movie and is also a very heartwarming one.

Refreshing- beautfiul scenery-great choice of actresses (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Breathtaking and charming- that's the best adjectives I can find for this movie. Miranda Richardson was fabulous, and it was nice to see Josie Lawrence in something more serious then "Whose Line is it Anyway". Four women retreat to a lovely Italian villa and change in very different ways. The beautiful 20-something girl finds peace from the ever growing gaggle of men always wanting to touch her and realizes that beauty isn't everything. 2 unhappily married women re-discover themselves and what they want, and receive surprise visits from the said husbands; even the men cannot escape the transformation this magical place performs. And an older woman, who has lost all her contemporaries to death, finds new friendships with these women and loses her protective gruffness to open herself up to new experiences and life itself. Fabulous adaptation from novel to screen. One for the personal video library. (And, as I always say, READ THE BOOK, TOO!)