Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Region 1 DVD Viewers Have Been Hoodwinked, July 3, 2006
Although I would normally give 'Shadows in the Sun' 5 stars because it is a wonderful film, beautifully shot with some stunning landscapes of Tuscany, I can't help but give it 1 star for the dreadful pan-and-scan (4x3) DVD presentation forced upon Region 1 viewers. Buena Vista Distributors should be hung, strung and quartered for releasing such a dreadful presentation on the US market and at a price of $29+ it proves that some studios are just plain greedy and hold their customers in contempt. Surely they could have obtained the original anamorphic master digi-tape of the movie for US release.
The good news is that the film was shot in anamorphic widescreen, (1.78:1 - enhanced to 16x9). The bad news is that the NTSC version is pan-and-scan, presumably re-edited for TV. They have 'forced commercial breaks' into the film, that's why there are so many 'fades to black' where the storyline does not justify them. Before the end titles scroll up, the picture and vocal song fades to black, and a pan up to the sky and part of the vocal are lost.
Well, if you want to see the film in all its glorious anamorphic (16x9) widescreen presentation, with exceptional picture quality and color saturation, buy the Region 2 PAL version from amazon.co.uk. The picture is so sharp you would think HD couldn't look any better! The audio is somewhat superior too! The disc also contains the same extras as the US version. What a difference the correct screen ratio transfer can make to the complete enjoyment of a movie, in the way it was originally intended to be seen! 5 Stars for the movie - 1 star for the terrible NTSC Region 1 version!
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Predictable Plot - But a Beautiful Little Film, May 16, 2006
Tuscany is like a magnet for sentimental Americans: the landscape, the people, the appreciation of life emanates from the sunscapes and offers a paradise to world-weary viewers. And so it is that Tuscany is the true star of this little romantic film. Yet writer/director Brad Mirman clearly knows how to script and move a story that, while predictable, still carries us along with wonderful characters from a fine cast.
Jeremy (Joshua Jackson) works for a publishing house in New York and is sent to Tuscany to coerce famous novelist Weldon Parish (Harvey Keitel) into ending his 20-year moratorium and write a new, 'bound to be best seller' novel. Parish has not written since he lost his beloved wife, becoming instead a rascal who spends his days basking in the lazy sun with his best friends the priest Father Moretti (Giancarlo Giannini), hotelier Gustavo (Armando Pucci) and his squeeze Amalia (Valeria Cavalli). He lives with his daughter Isabella (Claire Forlani) and is visited often by his other daughters Dinnie (Silvia De Santis) and Maura (Bianca Guaccero), each of whom hopes that their father will return to writing. Upon Jeremy's arrival he finds that everyone in the village is protective of Parish and when he finally meets the silent author, he discovers a man who loathes editors, publishers, press, and anyone else who wants him to start writing again. Gradually Jeremy and Parish begin to break down barriers: Jeremy admits that he longs to be a writer but fears failure and Parish admits that his silence at the typewriter is due to a similar fear. Jeremy falls in love with Isabella, becomes a part of Parish's drinking trio, undergoes some lessons in life .... and the ending is obvious from the start!
Harvey Keitel gives a moving performance as the gritty but passionate writer, Joshua Jackson makes Jeremy a believably transitioned man, and the supporting cast is consistently excellent. It really doesn't matter that we know from the beginning just how things will turn out: it is the getting there that is the pleasure of this light but touching film. The only significant problems are in the editing: there appear to be stops and starts as though this were made for television with places for commercials. But other than that this is a film that only asks that we relax, nod recognition, and enjoy the theme of the importance of honesty and the quality of life available if we follow our dreams. Grady Harp, May 06
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shadows in the Sun, July 30, 2006
Having never heard of this little gem of a movie, I watches it in on flight and was completely captivated by it as a whole. Although the plot was somewhat predictable, I did not find the characters a cliche. Americans sometimes think that depicting women in patient or nurturing roles is politically incorrect. Having just returned from an extended trip to Italy myself, I found the women to be amazingly thoughtful, sensual, and yes, full of scrap and spirit. The feminine spirit can do amzing things to nurture and tend others and I applaud this movie for daring to portray it.I found the women in this movie the true support behind the journies of the "main" characters. I also enjoyed the evolving relationship between the older writer and the younger publisher. As the relationships took on meaning for both characters, their commitment to each others well fare grew. They were both passionately devoted and stuck around for the natural out-come. The final scene was somewhat predictable (we knew the girl would get the guy) and yet it seemed the only correct ending. My faith in mankind, my passion for relationships and the creative spirit were rekindled. This movie has it all; death, excentic artists, love, romance, anger, depression, etc,,, I loved it.
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