Enchanted April (1991)

Enchanted April is one of those stories that makes life seem good again. In the warm spring air of Italy, four very different Englishwomen cast off their doubts and their demons to become fast friends. The cinematography is grand, the locations enchanting (I think the movie was actually shot at the castle where Elizabeth von Arnim wrote the novel!), the costumes delightful, and the acting superb. Miranda Richardson, Josie Lawrence, Joan Plowright, and Polly Walker are wonderful, as is the rest of the cast. SEE THIS MOVIE!


Enchanting and lovely. A perfect holiday.   April 22, 2000
Amie Staley (Tucson, AZ United States)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

I had never seen this movie before I bought it, nor had I read the book. I bought it soley because of the title and picture on the cover. It was a beautiful movie, full of warmth and love. Everything about it was terrific. The gardens at the villa were absolutely lovely. And I love the villa itself. While watching the film, I, too, spent an April in quietude and peace with the four very different women who rent the villa. It's a magical place where each woman finds something within herself that had long slept, and as a result, they bloom, just as the oleander. You can really feel the magic of the place. A truly remarkable film. This for everyone who is a romantic. I just can't write enough praise. It's a must-see film.


Warm, Heartfelt, and just Great   April 8, 2005
Christian Wahl (Redwood City, Ca.)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

There is not a lot to say that hasn't been said about this movie. It rates in my top 5 all time favorites. I have everything from the Die Hard collection to Godzilla, but this is the DVD I'm waiting for. I like art-house, and pretty much anything that is good, and that has style. This movie is great and has a lot of style. The characters have been brought back through time, the acting is superb, the scenery is stunning. The opening scenes portray a dreary England: Dismal weather and almost desperate people. All that changes in the second part of the film. The characters find a new zest for life and leave Italy much happier people. Only a machine could not be warmed, even a little, by this movie.
Please consider letting Amazon know that you are interested in this film being available on DVD. There is a box on the right side of the screen allowing Amazon to notify you when the film's available. This interest on our parts may encourage the studio to release this wonderful movie on DVD in all its widescreen splendor. Thanks. Ciao.


Refreshing- beautfiul scenery-great choice of actresses   October 6, 2000
Shaz (Naples, FL USA)
15 out of 17 found this review helpful

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!)