Bread and Tulips

Anyone who at some point in times in their lives has wanted to explore the "What if" of the path they have not taken can appreciate this story of the housewife that explores it. You can see that she feels that giving her all in her family is not really appreciated. Her all, is marginally on their radar screen, while not providing her with a sense that she is living her own life, following her own dreams and interests. Well this mistake in their vacation plans has changed all that. Fate has intervened

She winds up in Venice, some place she has never visited and meets a widower, who is on the brink of suicide, a single woman on the far side of left and winds up working in a florist shop of a man with a true appreciation of his art. He is also a bit daft as well. With this group of misfits she begins to redefine who she is on her own terms.

It is a fun movie that can show how confining and comfortable ruts can be, despite their lack of fit. I'm not saying we should all throw caution to the wind, but recognizing your own value and that you too have a right to a life, is a point often missed by many, even those with a capability of changing all that..

A fun movie and one that emphasizes the potential in us all.


A perefect 'Five' for what it is   February 20, 2006
Father Thyme (San Francisco, USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This is a beautifully unpretentious Italian romantic comedy with some strong performances from a cast that includes one of my favorite actors, Bruno Ganz. Ganz plays Maigret in the recent Franco-German TV series which was such a hit on the continent and which needs to be seen in the USA. For me, this movie had even more charm than the recent crop of good English romantic comedies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, About A Boy and others (all of which seem to star Hugh Grant and an English repertory cast). If you found their mixture of reality and comic fantasy attractive, you'll love this movie, too. Although my Italian isn't profound, I didn't have any trouble with the subtitles. It remains to be seen if the American remake can capture this light-hearted movie's tone.


Charming and Delightful Escape to Venice, Italy   October 14, 2006
Erika Borsos (Gulf Coast of FL, USA)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful

This delightful Italian comedy, shows how Rosalba, an Italian hosewife, taken for granted by her family, who has lived her whole life in Pescara, Italy ... takes a vacation from them all to visit Venice, Italy. There she begins a new life with a zany group of characters who become her friends. She finds pleasure in simple everday life activities. She takes joy in spontaneously responding to the new experiences this vacation has opened for her. She meets a waiter, who provides her with a room to stay in when her funds are low. She gets a job in a florist's shop, where the owner is an eccentric old gentleman who has the habit of discussing anarchy. She rekindles her musical talent after discovering an accordion ... Rosalba is accepted for who she is by her new cohorts. In this environment, Rosalba compares her old constrained stifling life with her recently discovered freedom. The question is, will Rosalba give up her freedom, now that she has experienced independence?

The film begins as a tour guide describes ancient Roman ruins and explains in lyrical verse how the Greeks and Italians intermarried and essentially began Western civilization, the group is provided a snack break. Rosalba is inadvertently left behind when she visits the ladies restroom where she accidentally drops her ring in the toilet. After fishing out the ring with a bit of difficulty, she steps out only to discover the tour bus driving off - without her. She telephones her husband Mimmo who berates her for getting lost. This reaction on his part, gives her the spontaneous impetus to take a vacation on her own from her former life. The viewer can sense the birth of this plan as Rosalba hitches a ride with two unusual characters ... The final destination of one of the drivers is Venice, on the spur of the moment, as Pescara, her home city is nearing, she decides to visit Venice, a place she has wanted to see but never been.

The crux of the comedy is built around how her macho husband, who owns a bathroom fixture business with his brother, attempts to track her down in Venice. Mimmo interviews a portly young man named Constantino for a job as a plumber, when he discovers his hobby is reading detective stories, he offers Constantino an opportunity to *become* a detective. Constantino's adventures in Venice are very funny. When he gets to Venice it is the busy tourist season and hotel rooms are scarce. A shady character offers him a hotel room which ends being a rinky dinky old houseboat ... To find Rosalba, he posts flyers with her photo in many strategic locations around Venice. After seeing one, Rosalba phones and meets with him but manages to escape ... Constantino follows her stealthfully to her apartment. Grazia, the masseuse, mistakes him for a client and he lies to gain access into the building. Grazia falls in love with him and Constantino reciprocates the feelings. There are immensely funny episodes and comedic events which play out as this couple works out their relationship. Rosalba does eventually return home to her family, filled with nostalgic memories about her independent vacation. Suddenly, The waiter with whom she shared many delightful moments in Venice visits her and declares his love ... Rosalba has a serious decison before her, to remain in her old life or take up the new independent one. The viewer will be pleased with her choice. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]