Osman Boroyewski
I gotta admit, I had quite high expectations when I bought the DVD of Stealing Beauty, having heard mostly good stuff about the film. So I sat down in front of the screen, expecting a highly emotional, entertaining flick. Boy was I wrong! There were just too many things that didn't seem right in this. I don't even know where to start so I'll just write the first things that come to my mind;The plot. It just went nowhere. Before watching the film, I had an overall idea of the story, in which there was this 19-year old American girl involved, who travels to Italy in order to resolve the mystery surrounding the father she never knew. With a premise as simple as this, I was expecting the director to surprise his audience with a twist in the plot or two. Alas, as soon as I saw the credits popping up, I shouted out loud "so, is THAT it?!" What was the point of all this? What was I supposed to get? Nothing important happened during those 114 minutes. Let's face it, the countryside is fine for resting, but if you don't have a damn good story to tell, it's just a boring setting for a movie.Cinematography is not enough to make a good film. If I want pretty images, I watch a documentary, or here's a better idea, I just take a walk outside. Watching the regular lives of useless country people don't really match my idea of quality entertainment.The characters are another matter. There are simply no characters that you can relate to/show sympathy, because frankly, there's something disturbing about horny, aging hippies. The only likable person is Lucy, then again, that might only have something to do with Liv Tyler herself, rather than her character.Come to think of it, Liv Tyler's the whole reason I forced myself to watch this to the end. 2 stars for casting her.
thomas-794
I found the Artists-in-Tuscany concept to be a tiresome cliché throughout this film. So unrealistic and annoying to watch... Certainly a real artist would find it quite tedious to be distracted with so many house-guests and to have to entertain and feed all those awful people. We've seen this theme countless times now in film... a collection of "free spirits"/"finding oneself" in a gorgeous villa in Italy.There is not an ounce of honesty or any real characters in the film, just tired and worn-out clichés. Pretty, but meaningless.
SunSeekerScot
I think I saw this film at a film festival when it was newly released (or prior to release) and seem to recall a scene that was missing when I watched it again recently.Remember when they all go over to that grand villa for the evenings party and the artist guy stays home to carve away at his tree stump with the chainsaw. I remember him sanding more and creating this lovely (and suggestive!) hole in it that later when his wife returns home and finds him caressing the hole suggestively and the two of them then make love. This time when I watch the film it just cuts to the place where she leans against the wall and hikes up her dress above the knee (what the hell is that all about?). The original was one of my favorite parts because of how that scene was enhanced with the music soundtrack... but now it's gone! So my question is: Am I right or dreaming? Anybody else remember this?
Radoslav Karapetkov
I had the opportunity to watch this movie twice in a single day - first in the morning, and then, unexpectedly, again - in the evening.Maybe it was my destiny.. Just maybe...So at first, I gave it a "9" because I thought there were some minor plot weaknesses.But when I saw it again, everything just worked...This isn't a movie that you watch once and you say "Oh yeah!" It just requires more attention. You have to think harder and, something more - you have to feel harder...As with every great work of art, you have to experience it several times, in order to actually get into it...And when you do, you could find anything in it...In time, I'll watch it again, and I hope I can learn something from a true cinema virtuoso.Watch it more than once - 10/10.
AD
